1. MICROKELVIN: JRA3 Fundamental physics for the study of cosmological analogues in the laboratory

2. Task 1: Investigating quantum vortices as model cosmic strings (ULANC, TKK, CNRS) Deep analogies between the broken symmetries of superfluid 3He and those of the Universe mean that quantized vortices mirror cosmic strings. ULANC will attempt the measurement in the high-resolution quasiparticle energy detector by observing the decay of a vortex tangle generated inside the bolometer. TKK will observe the heat released in the inverse process when a previously stationary condensate in a rotating container is suddenly converted to a vortex lattice. Both methods will require high-sensitivity energy detection. CNRS will investigate the effect of pressure on the dynamics associated with the competition between the two superfluid phases as the vortices are created. Milestones M1: Determination of the energy released by a vortex tangle with known line density (12 month). M2: Measurement of the dissipation when a vortex tangle is established (24). M3: A precise determination of the effect of pressure on vortex creation via the dynamics of the second-order phase transition (30). Enluminure : en l an de grâce 2008, GRP me fît:

3. Task 2: Investigating condensate-condensate phase boundaries as analogue branes (ULANC, CNRS) The several coherent phases of superfluid 3He provide us with phase boundaries which are absolutely unique in being boundaries between two fully-ordered condensates with different symmetries. The most highly ordered 2D structure to which we have experimental access. ULANC will devise methods to identify the topological defects left after boundary (brane) annihilation. CNRS will investigate the direct interaction of a micromechanical oscillator with the recently observed 2D cosmological defect Milestones: M4: Identification of the topological defects left after brane (phase boundary) annihilation (24). M5: Observation of several cosmological defects in a microkelvin multi-cell detector (30).

4. Task 3: Horizons, ergo-regions and rotating Black Holes (TKK, CNRS) 3He analogues to Black Holes and their associated horizons Superfluid Landau critical velocity = velocity of light Analogue of cosmological particle production during expansion simulated by the rapid change of the magnetic field; the analogue of the Unruh effect of particle creation, simulated by a potential gradient moving rapidly in the superfluid; the radiation of fermionic quasiparticles by a moving vortex in turbulent flow of 3He simulating the radiation of gravitational waves by evolving cosmic strings in early Universe, etc. At TKK instabilities at the interface between the A and B phases mimic Black-Hole behaviour. The spectrum of excitations on the interface takes the relativistic form with the governing equations mimicking those for the event horizon of a black hole. At CNRS, exploration of the percolation transition mechanism will give information on the fundamentals of the second order phase transition dynamics. Milestones M6: Realization of a Black-Hole analogue in a rotating system with an A-B boundary (24). M7: Test of the Unruh effect from rapid motion of a phase boundary (30). M8: Test of the percolation theory of the A-B transition (36).

5. Task 4: Q-balls in superfluid 3He (CNRS, ULANC, TKK, SAS, RHUL) Q-balls: bubbles of the wrong phase after phase transitions in the early Universe. Example: supersymmetric particles trapped in the surrounding normal matrix. Such a Q-ball would be able to desintegrate a neutron star. Analog: long-lived domains seen in superfluid 3He Magnetization = conserved Q-ball charge "Q". In 3He we can observe the deflected spin directly by NMR. We can see the structure of the Q-ball, and test interactions Milestones: M9: The observation of the interaction between two independent precessing Q-balls (30). M10: Creation of excited modes of a Q-ball under radial squeezing by rotation (36). M11: Realization of microkelvin thermometry based on "Q-ball behaviour (42).

6. Task 5: ULTIMA-Plus: Dark matter search with ultra-low temperature detectors (CNRS, ULANC, HEID) The 3He condensate provides a scintillator material for dark-matter detection and other ultrasensitive energy measurements The possibility of detecting astroparticles with a sensitivity of less than 1 keV using superfluid 3He at 100 μK (two orders of magnitude colder than current experiments) has been demonstrated in Lancaster and CNRS-Grenoble. A prototype particle detector showing extreme sensitivity has been successfully tested in Grenoble (Projects MacHe3 and ULTIMA) ULT techniques must be developed to exploit fully the potential of superfluid 3He Milestones: M12: Microfabricated silicon vibrating wires tested in superfluid 3He below 100 microkelvin in underground laboratory conditions (30). M13: Superfluid 3He microkelvin underground multicell particle-detector operating underground (42).

7. Deliverables D1: Report on microfabricated silicon vibrating wires tested in superfluid 3He at 100 µK (12). D2: Publication on vortex creation in superfluid 3He (24, 36). D3: Publication on 2D defects (36). D4: Publication on Black Holes (36) D5: Publication on Q-balls in superfluid 3He (48) D6: Report on ULTIMA multicell particle-detector operating underground (48).