3He melting pressure temperature scale below 25 mK

Using⁶⁰Co -ray anisotropy radiation as a primary thermometer, with a Pt NMR susceptibility secondary thermometer, we have made high-precision measurements of the³He melting pressure versus temperature from 500 K to 25 mK. Temperatures obtained for the fixed points on the melting curve are: the superfluid A transition T_A = 2.505mK, the A-B transition T_AB = 1.948 mK, and the solid ordering temperature T_N = 0.934 mK. We provide a functional form for P(T), which, with the fixed points, constitutes a convenient temperature scale, based on a primary thermometer, usable to well below 1 mK.     

Modified LOCV Calculations for Normal and Fully Spin-Polarized Liquid 3He

In a comparative study between recent interaction models, a modified lowest-order constrained variational (LOCV) approach is used to obtain results for normal and fully spin-polarized liquid ³ He. With a truncated energy expansion, correlation functions are optimized by adjusting the healing conditions on a Jastrow two-body wave function. Using the HFDHE2 model, results of such modifications are consistent with FHNC/S results. At 0.0164 Å ^–3 , our results with the HFD-B2 model are –2.46 K and –2.13 K, respectively, for the ground-state binding energy.     

The proximity effect between superfluid3He and a3He-4He mixture

The quasiclassical theory is used to study the proximity effect between superfluid ³ He and a mixture of ³ He- ⁴ He. The order parameter and the surface tension are calculated, and their dependence on temperature and on the hypothetical transition temperature of the ³ He- ⁴ He mixture is discussed.     

The VNIIFTRI magnetic temperature scale in the 0.3–3 K range

A thermodynamic temperature scale in the range 0.3–3 K is established by a magnetic method. The results of investigations enable the range of the State Standard of temperature to be extended from 0.8 K to 0.3 K with a simultaneous increase in its accuracy by a factor of 2–3. __________ Translated from Izmeritel’naya Tekhnika, No. 8, pp. 47–53, August, 2007.     

Realization of a 3He�C4He Vapor-Pressure Thermometer for Temperatures Between 0.65?K and 5?K at LNE-CNAM

In the temperature range between 0.65 K and 5 K, the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90) is based on ³He and ⁴He vapor-pressure thermometers. Between 0.65 K and 1 K, the ITS-90 overlaps with the Provisional Low Temperature Scale of 2000 (PLTS-2000), defined in term of the melting pressure of ³He. Some differences, up to more than 1 mK, exist between the two scales in the overlapping interval. The LNE-CNAM has recently started the construction of a ³He?C⁴He vapor-pressure thermometer to realize the ITS-90 in its lowest subrange at the highest degree of accuracy. The device is provided with two separate vapor-pressure chambers, one for ³He and the other for ⁴He, built in a single copper block, and is installed in the experimental space of a dilution refrigerator. The vapor-pressure thermometer is designed to accommodate on the same copper block several transfer standards, an acoustic thermometer, and the ³He melting-pressure thermometer. This configuration is intended for realizing calibrations of transfer standards down to 0.65 K, for investigating the possibility to extend the acoustic thermometer below 4 K, and to perform a direct comparison between the ITS-90 and the PLTS-2000 in the overlapping temperature range, in order to study their differences. The realization of the system has been recently accomplished, and this report illustrates the characteristics of such an experimental device.     

Multilayer adsorption of3He and4He on zeolite from 4 K to 80 K

The adsorption isotherms of⁴He, N₂, and argon have been measured on synthetic zeolite (Linde Molecular Sieve 13X) at 78 K, and of³He and⁴He, also on zeolite 13X, in the temperature range 4 K to 20 K. The results are presented in tabular and graphical form. The N₂ isotherms, which showed characteristic step-like behavior, served to assess the specific surface area, which was 527 m² g^–1 based on a standard N₂ molecular area of 16.2 Ų. It also provided a value ofE ₁ equal to 2530 cal mole^–1. The argon isotherm at 78 K yielded a specific surface area for the zeolite 13X in fair agreement with that from the N₂ data. Nine isotherms were taken for⁴He between 4 K and 20 K and four for³He in the same temperature range. These isotherms permitted good evaluations of the isosteric heats of adsorption to be made and plotted as a function of coverage, yielding, for⁴He,Q _st =1580 j mole^–1 at zero coverage,Q _st =1030 j mole^–1 at monolayer coverage andE ₂=480 j mole^–1 at two-layer coverage. For³He, which showed everywhere smaller Q _st values. Q _st =1420 at zero coverage. By use of the Steele equation applied to⁴He, we found that the monolayer coverageV _m1 0.29 cm³ (STP) m^–2, and the second-layer coverage,V _m2 0.10 cm³ (STP) m^–2.Supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation and by contracts with ONR and the Department of Defense (Themis).     

Refrigeration and thermometry of liquid3He-4He mixtures in the ballistic regime

The ballistic regime of liquid³He-⁴He mixtures is characterized by a large mean free path of the thermal excitations compared to the characteristic dimension of the experiment. We report on investigations of the transport properties of mixtures as well as superfluid³He in the ballistic regime by means of the vibrating wire technique. In order to avoid possible sources of heat leaks into the liquid, the experimental setup was built as far as possible of pure materials only. The contribution of a Ag sinter to the heat leak as well as its influence on the attainable minimum temperature of the mixtures were investigated by performing measurements in two similar setups which differed in the size of the heat exchanger by about one order of magnitude. Moreover, we have used the vibrating wire partly immersed in the superfluid³He-B phase of a phase-separated mixture as a very sensitive, continuously monitoring thermometer for liquid mixtures in their ballistic regime. The achieved minimum temperature of a 6.8%-mixture atp = 0.35 bar and of a 9.5%-mixture atp = 9.8 bar was 130 K. This value can be considered as an upper limit for the temperature of the mixtures as the damping of the vibrating wire thermometer saturates at this temperature due to its intrinsic properties.     

Low temperature heat exchanger for an He3He4 dilution refrigerator

The design and techniques for constructing a step-heat exchanger using sintered copper powder are reported. The results of applying it to a He³He⁴ combined dilution refrigerator are presented. The performance of the mixing chamber in a single-cycle mode is considered.     

Accurate polynomial representation of the T58 He4 scale of temperature from 1.6 K to the critical point

This paper presents an interpolation formula for converting the 1958 He⁴ scale of vapour pressure measurements to temperature, which is a significant improvement on all previous formulae. The T58 scale was fitted into seventeen segments — three below the lambda point and fourteen above. The polynomials obtained from this formulae can easily be incorporated into computer programmes.     

Sum rules for a binary solution and effective interactions between3He quasiparticles in superfluid4He

Sum rules are derived for dynamic structure factors for a binary solution and applied to the Woo-Tan-Massey theory of ³ He- ⁴ He solutions. We demonstrate that in the long-wavelength region the effective ³ He quasiparticle interactionV _k contains no lineark dependence. In other words, $$V_k \to A + Bk^2 {\text{ }}as k \to 0$$ This result is exact, and requires no empirical information. It is consistent with expressions ofV _k assumed by Eckstein, Eckstein, Kuper, and Ron, and by Ebner, based on fitting experimental data such as osmotic pressure measurements.     

4He in Liquid 3He below 0.1 K: Measurements of the Solubility and Prewetting Transition

We have measured the solubility of ⁴He in liquid ³He down to 0.04 K at various pressures. The solubility was obtained indirectly, from the thickness of the superfluid film in contact with unsaturated solutions. We determined the film thickness from the ratio of two parallel plate capacitors with different gaps, immersed in the unsaturated liquid. The technique is described in detail, with its advantages and drawbacks, including the effects of the edge capacitance and capillary condensation. For use in interpreting the data, the adsorption area and the van der Waals potential of the cell walls were found by measuring the thickness of ³He and ⁴He–³He films under their vapor pressure. By fitting the temperature dependence of the solubility to the predictions of Fermi liquid theory, we determined the ⁴He effective mass m*₄, the binding energy E ₄ and the partial volume v*₄, as a function of pressure. At 24 atm, a prewetting transition was observed in the ⁴He-rich film in contact with the liquid ³He. The transition, which is related to a similar phenomenon discovered by Tholen and Parpia at very low temperature, is explained by a simple model. An Appendix describes a new derivation of the thermodynamic functions of ³He-rich mixtures in Fermi liquid theory.     

Heat release,refrigeration and thermometry in3He-4He solutions at very low temperatures

We report on our measurements performed in liquid³He-⁴He solutions in the microkelvin temperature range at the Bayreuth nuclear demagnetization cryostat. One aspect of our work is the application of the vibrating wire technique for thermometry in the ballistic regime of phase-separated solutions. The establishment of reliable thermometry along with the particular design of our experimental cells enables us to study two main limitations on the minimum temperature of about 100K achieved in³He-⁴He solutions so far: the thermal resistance between the liquid and the cell, and the origins of the heat leaks.     

Studies on a sealed-cell lambda-point device for use in low temperature thermometry

We report here the development of a sealed-cell lambda-point device which has been used to realize the lambda-point temperature of ⁴He, T_λ=2.1768 K, to a precision of 0.04 mK with simple automatic control. With this device, one can produce and maintain T_λ-plateaus for unlimited duration with no ascertained temperature drift. This unique performance is achieved by a design, which makes it possible to keep a HeI/HeII interface quasi-stationary inside a vertical variable-conductance capillary tube. The capillary connects a top HeII-cell and a bottom HeI-cell at its two ends, and acts as a sensitive heat switch which automatically adjusts a heat input to the bottom HeI-cell to compensate exactly the heat conducted out of the HeII-cell to the environment. The HeI/HeII interface thus stays at an equilibrium height determined by the magnitude of heat flow through the capillary and by the temperature difference along the capillary. The sharp difference between the thermal conductances of the interfacing HeII and HeI columns is the underlying physics of this self-adjusting function. Realization of T_λ is achieved after appropriate corrections to the thermometer reading at the HeII-cell, in particular, by extrapolating to zero heat flow through the device.     

Anomalous temperature dependence ofD andT 2 for dilute solutions of3He in solid4He

Results of measurements of the spin diffusion coefficientD and NMR relaxation timesT ₁,T ₂, and T_1p are presented for a range of fractional³He concentrations 1 × 10^–4x ₃2.5 × 10^–3 in solid⁴He at molar volumes 19.85V _m21.0 cm³ and temperatures 0.4<T<2 K in both hcp and bcc phases. We observe a minimumD(T) atx ₃=5×10^–4, which is interpreted in terms of a transition from coherent impuriton motion to thermally activated diffusion. ForT<0.8 K, (lnD)/(lnV _m)=60±8. TheT ₂ measurements show a minimum as a function of temperature forx ₃10^–3. TheT ₂ (T) andT ₁ (T) results yield values for activation energy and tunneling frequency of vacancies in these dilute solutions. Forx ₃=5×10^–4 andT 0.5 K,T ₂ (V _m) is anomalous.T ₁ measurements at the same concentration indicate there is an important contribution to the spectral density of dipole field fluctuations in the kHz region.Financial support provided for apparatus, materials, and a research studentship (ARA) by the Science Research Council.     

Nanomagnets La0.8Pb0.2(Fe0.8Co0.2)O3 assembled with a bonded surface graphene oxide: sensitive for sensing small gas molecules

Nanocrystallites La0.8Pb0.2(Fe0.8Co0.2)O3 (LPFC) when bonded through a surface layer (carbon) in small ensembles display surface sensitive magnetism useful for biological probes, electrodes, and toxic gas sensors. A simple dispersion and hydrolysis of the salts in ethylene glycol (EG) in water is explored to form ensembles of the nanocrystallites (NCs) by combustion of a liquid precursor gel slowly in microwave at 70-80 dgrees C (apparent) in a closed container in air. In a dilute sample, the EG molecules mediate hydrolyzed species to configure in small groups in process to form a gel. Proposed models describe how a residual carbon bridges a stable bonded layer of a graphene-oxide-like hybrid structure on the LPFC-NCs in attenuating the magnetic structure. SEM images, measured from a pelletized sample which was used to study the gas sensing features in terms of the electrical resistance, describe plate shaped NCs, typically 30-60 nm widths, 60-180 nm lengths and -50 m2/g surface area (after heating at -750 degrees C). These NCs are arranged in ensembles (200-900 nm size). As per the X-ray diffraction, the plates (a Pnma orthorhombic structure) bear only small strain -0.0023 N/m2 and oxygen vacancies. The phonon and electronic bands from a bonded surface layer disappear when it is etched out slowly by heating above 550 degrees C in air. The surface layer actively promotes selective H2 gas sensor properties.     

Adsorption of3He and4He on copper and on argon-coated copper below 20 K

Measurements have been made of adsorption isotherms of ³ He and of ⁴ He on copper and on a monolayer of argon deposited on copper in the temperature range 6.18–18.55 K and in the pressure range 0.25 to 75 Torr. From these many isotherms, calculations have been made of the isosteric heat of adsorptionQ _st/R. In the limit of zero coverage on the argon monolayerQ _st/R=76±2 K for ³ He and 76±2 K for ⁴ He. For adsorption on the bare copper,Q _st/R is difficult to extrapolate to zero coverage, but it probably lies (for both ³ He and ⁴ He) between 135 and 165 K. At theoretical monolayer helium coverage,Q _st/R=44±2 K for ³ He on the argon monolayer and 47±2 K for ⁴ He. At theoretical monolayer helium coverage on the bare copper,Q _st/R=61±4 K for ³ He and 77±5 K for ⁴ He. The results are compared with theoretical evaluations for helium adsorbed on an argon monolayer and with some previous experimental data, and the agreement is found to be fair. All the data are summarized in tables. Finally, a review is given of evaluations, including those from this work, of the monolayer capacity of ³ He and ⁴ He on the substrates studied.Work supported by a contract with the Department of Defense (Themis Program) and with the Office of Naval Research and by a Grant from the National Science Foundation.     

Isochores in superfluid4He between 25 bar and the melting curve

Isochores in superfluid⁴He between 25 bar and the melting curve have been measured to high resolution. Together with the published results of Maynard, these results provide the self-consistent basis for establishing the equation of state in the superfluid phase for temperatures above 1 K.This work supported in part by U.S. NSF Grant No. DMR75-19546.