The tensile strength of helium II
The study of the negative pressure required to produce cavitation in liquid helium (i.e. the tensile strength of helium) has been of continuing interest for two reasons. Since all other elements have freezing temperatures of 14 K or higher, helium can be prepared free of gaseous impurities which can serve as centers for heterogeneous nucleation of bubbles which will reduce the tensile strength of the liquid. Secondly, helium remains a liquid even down to the absolute zero of temperature. Consequently, it has been considered that at sufficiently low temperatures there is the possibility that the rate of nucleation of bubbles is dominated by quantum tunneling. In this thesis, the authors reexamined the theory of homogeneous nucleation and made an estimate of the equation of state for negative pressure in helium. He found that the earlier theories were incorrect in that they took no account of the equation of state of liquid helium in the negative pressure regime. The tensile strength of helium at T = 0 K should be around [minus]9 bars instead of [minus]17 bars predicted by the standard theory.
- Research Organization:
- Brown Univ., Providence, RI (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 6911918
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph.D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Tensile strength and visible ultrasonic cavitation of superfluid /sup 4/He
Correlation effects in two-dimensional electron systems realized in quantum well structures and on the surface of liquid helium
Related Subjects
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
HELIUM II
TENSILE PROPERTIES
BUBBLES
NUCLEATION
PURIFICATION
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0000-0013 K
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FLUIDS
HELIUM 4
HELIUM ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
NUCLEI
QUANTUM FLUIDS
STABLE ISOTOPES
TEMPERATURE RANGE
665420* - Superfluidity- (1992-)