Charge transport in liquid helium at low temperatures

B. Sethumadhavan, W. Yao, H. Eguchi, A. Ghosh, Y. H. Huang, Y. H. Kim, R. E. Lanou, H. J. Maris, A. N. Mocharnuk-Macchia, G. M. Seidel

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

In an experiment to investigate the possibility of using superfluid helium as a detection medium for low energy solar neutrinos, we have studied the currents produced by a radioactive source in a helium cell having a liquid/vacuum interface at 50 mK. A number of phenomena have been observed that appear not to have been described in the literature. These include the following: 1) The current at very low voltages in a cell having a free surface can be 100 times greater than in a filled cell. This additional current is associated with Penning ionization of metastable triplet dimers in surface states. 2) There is a large amplification of current in modest electric fields with a free surface present in the cell. This is the result of charges accelerated across the vacuum having sufficient energy to produce ionization and additional free charges upon hitting a liquid surface. The amplification becomes sufficiently large that breakdown occurs at potential differences across the vacuum of less than 1000 V. The dependence on 3He concentration of these phenomena has been studied.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationLOW TEMPERATURE PHYSICS
Subtitle of host publication24th International Conference on Low Temperature Physics - LT24
Pages159-160
Number of pages2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2006
Externally publishedYes
EventLOW TEMPERATURE PHYSICS: 24th International Conference on Low Temperature Physics - LT24 - Orlando, FL, United States
Duration: Aug 10 2006Oct 17 2006

Publication series

NameAIP Conference Proceedings
Volume850
ISSN (Print)0094-243X
ISSN (Electronic)1551-7616

Conference

ConferenceLOW TEMPERATURE PHYSICS: 24th International Conference on Low Temperature Physics - LT24
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityOrlando, FL
Period08/10/0610/17/06

Keywords

  • Metastables
  • Solar neutrino
  • Superfluid helium
  • Surface

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