Particle detection by evaporation from superfluid helium

Journal Article · Mon Apr 20 00:00:00 EDT 1992 · Physical Review Letters; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.68.2429· OSTI ID:7236930

Bandler, S R; Lanou, R E; Maris, H J; More, T; Porter, F S; Seidel, G M; Torii, R H ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912 (United States)

We report the first experiments in which 5-MeV alpha particles are detected via evaporation from a bath of superfluid helium. The {alpha} excites phonons and rotons in the liquid helium, and these excitations are sufficiently energetic to evaporate helium atoms when they reach the free surface of the liquid. The approximate overall efficiency of this process has been determined, and we compare this with expectations. We have also been able to detect evaporation induced by a flux of {gamma}'s from a {sup 137}Cs source.

• DOE Contract Number: FG02-88ER40452
• OSTI ID: 7236930
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters; (United States), Vol. 68:16; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ALPHA DETECTION
COMPTON EFFECT
EVAPORATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GAMMA DETECTION
HELIUM 4
NEUTRINOS
PARTICLE IDENTIFICATION
ROTONS
SUPERFLUIDITY
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0000-0013 K
BASIC INTERACTIONS
CHARGED PARTICLE DETECTION
DATA
DETECTION
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FERMIONS
HELIUM ISOTOPES
INFORMATION
INTERACTIONS
ISOTOPES
LEPTONS
LIGHT NUCLEI
MASSLESS PARTICLES
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
QUASI PARTICLES
RADIATION DETECTION
SCATTERING
STABLE ISOTOPES
TEMPERATURE RANGE
440103* - Radiation Instrumentation- Nuclear Spectroscopic Instrumentation
440104 - Radiation Instrumentation- High Energy Physics Instrumentation