Dissipative superfluid mass flux through solid 4He

The thermo-mechanical effect in superfluid helium is used to create an initial chemical potential difference, $\Delta \mu_0$, across a solid $^4$He sample. This $\Delta \mu_0$ causes a flow of helium atoms from one reservoir filled with superfluid helium, through a sample cell filled with solid helium, to another superfluid-filled reservoir until chemical potential equilibrium is restored. The solid helium sample is separated from each of the reservoirs by Vycor rods that allow only the superfluid component to flow. With an improved technique, measurements of the flow, $F$, at several fixed solid helium temperatures, $T$, have been made as function of $\Delta \mu$ in the pressure range 25.5 - 26.1 bar. And, measurements of $F$ have been made as a function of temperature in the range $180 < T < 545$~mK for several fixed values of $\Delta \mu$. The temperature dependence of the flow above $100$~mK shows a reduction of the flux with an increase in temperature that is well described by $F = F_0^*[1 - a\exp(-E/T)]$. The non-linear functional dependence $F \sim (\Delta \mu)^b$, with $b < 0.5$ independent of temperature but dependent on pressure, documents in some detail the dissipative nature of the flow and suggests that this system demonstrates Luttinger liquid-like one-dimensional behavior. The mechanism that causes this flow behavior is not certain, but is consistent with superflow on the cores of edge dislocations.Comment: 11 pages, 14 figure

Mass flux characteristics in solid 4He for T> 100 mK: Evidence for Bosonic Luttinger Liquid behavior

At pressure $\sim$ 25.7 bar the flux, $F$, carried by solid \4he for $T >$ 100 mK depends on the net chemical potential difference between two reservoirs in series with the solid, $\Delta \mu$, and obeys $F \sim (\Delta \mu)^b$, where $b \approx 0.3$ is independent of temperature. At fixed $\Delta \mu$ the temperature dependence of the flux, $F$, can be adequately represented by $F \sim - \ln(T/\tau)$, $\tau \approx 0.6$ K, for $0.1 \leq T \leq 0.5$ K. A single function $F = F_0(\Delta \mu)^b\ln(T/\tau)$ fits all of the available data sets in the range 25.6 - 25.8 bar reasonably well. We suggest that the mass flux in solid \4he for $T > 100$ mK may have a Luttinger liquid-like behavior in this bosonic system.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Observation of thermo-mechanical equilibration in the presence of a solid 4He conduit

We observe a thermo-mechanical effect when a chemical potential difference is created by a temperature difference imposed between two liquid reservoirs connected to each other through Vycor rods in series with solid hcp 4He. By creating a temperature difference, $\Delta T$, between the two reservoirs, we induce a rate-limited growth of a pressure difference between the two reservoirs, $\Delta P$. In equilibrium $\Delta P {\it vs.} \Delta T$ is in quantitative agreement with the thermo-mechanical effect in superfluid helium. These observations confirm that below $\sim$ 600 mK a flux-limited flow exists through the solid helium.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Growth of solid hcp \^4He off the melting curve

We report studies of the growth of solid hcp \4he at pressures higher than the bulk freezing pressure using a cell design that allows us to inject atoms into the solid. Near the melting curve during injection we observe random events during which the pressure recorded in the cell drops abruptly. These events are accompanied by transient increases in the temperature of the cell. We discuss these transients and conclude that they represent the solidification of meta-stable liquid regions and the associated relief of strain in the local solid. We also observe that further from the melting curve the transients are no longer recorded, but that we can continue to add atoms to the solid, increasing its density at fixed volume. We document these changes in density with respect to changes in the chemical potential as a function of temperature and discuss these in the context of recent theoretical work.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure

Mass flow through solid 4He induced by the fountain effect

Using an apparatus that allows superfluid liquid 4He to be in contact with hcp solid \4he at pressures greater than the bulk melting pressure of the solid, we have performed experiments that show evidence for 4He mass flux through the solid and the likely presence of superfluid inside the solid. We present results that show that a thermomechanical equilibrium in quantitative agreement with the fountain effect exists between two liquid reservoirs connected to each other through two superfluid-filled Vycor rods in series with a chamber filled with solid 4He. We use the thermomechanical effect to induce flow through the solid and measure the flow rate. On cooling, mass flux appears near T = 600 mK and rises smoothly as the temperature is lowered. Near T = 75 mK a sharp drop in the flux is present. The flux increases as the temperature is reduced below 75 mK. We comment on possible causes of this flux minimum.Comment: 20 pages, 22 figures, 7 table

Observation of Mass Transport through Solid 4He

By use of a novel experimental design, one that provides for superfluid helium in contact with bulk hcp 4He off the melting curve, we have observed the DC transport of mass through a cell filled with solid 4He in the hcp region of the phase diagram. Flow, which shows characteristics of a superflow, is seen to be independent of the method used to grow the solid, but depends on pressure and temperature. The temperature dependence suggests the possibility of hysteresis.Comment: 1 zipped file, produces 16 page paper, with 20 figures; resubmitted with typos corrected, a figure corrected, some discussion improved, and additional references - still 16 pages and 20 figure

Quantum Monte Carlo Algorithm Based on Two-Body Density Functional Theory for Fermionic Many-Body Systems: Application to 3He

We construct a quantum Monte Carlo algorithm for interacting fermions using the two-body density as the fundamental quantity. The central idea is mapping the interacting fermionic system onto an auxiliary system of interacting bosons. The correction term is approximated using correlated wave functions for the interacting system, resulting in an effective potential that represents the nodal surface. We calculate the properties of 3He and find good agreement with experiment and with other theoretical work. In particular, our results for the total energy agree well with other calculations where the same approximations were implemented but the standard quantum Monte Carlo algorithm was usedComment: 4 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl