SIMULATED COSMIC STRINGS IN A BIG-BANG IN SUPERFLUID HE-3 AT 100-MU-K

During studies of the impact of single neutrons on superfluid He-3 at around 100 mu K we have measured the thermal energy released in the su perfluid following the nuclear reaction, n+He-3-->p+H-3+764keV. Howeve r, we find that the measured energy deposited in the quasiparticle sys tem shortly after this reaction is substantially less than what we exp ect. We believe that this energy deficit represents that energy which has gone into the creation of vortices, in analogy to the creation of cosmic strings in the early universe via the Kibble mechanism. Further more, from the magnitude of the deficit, we can infer the vortex densi ty which compares favorably with that predicted in Zurek's scenario.