Finite-size scaling and the convective conductance and specific heat of planar helium films near the superfluid transition

Journal Article · Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1989 · Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.39.6519· OSTI ID:6449779

Yu, Y Y; Finotello, D; Gasparini, F M

We have measured the convective conductance of saturated helium films at the superfluid transition. Our data show that the Kosterlitz-Thouless features of the transition established for thinner films are retained for all the films we have measured up to 156 A. The finite-size scaling hypothesis is examined, and it is found that the shift in transition temperature is governed by an exponent less than that of the three-dimensional correlation length. This result agrees with earlier results of the specific heat of films. A comparison of the conductance and specific-heat data shows that for films of equal thickness the divergence in the conductance is well below the temperature of the specific-heat maximum. While this is expected for the superfluid transition in two dimensions, we point out, however, that the specific-heat maximum for the thick films is not due to two-dimensional effects. We find that at both of these temperatures the three-dimensional phase correlation length would be substantially less than the thickness of the film.

• Research Organization: Department of Physics and Astronomy, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14260
• OSTI ID: 6449779
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States), Vol. 39:10
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
HELIUM II
FILM FLOW
CRITICAL TEMPERATURE
SCALING LAWS
SPECIFIC HEAT
SUPERFLUIDITY
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
HELIUM 4
HELIUM ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NUCLEI
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
QUANTUM FLUIDS
STABLE ISOTOPES
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE
640450* - Fluid Physics- Superfluidity