Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Quantized evaporation from liquid helium

Nature volume 304, pages 325–326 (1983)Cite this article

Abstract

We report here the process for the evaporation of He atoms from the surface of liquid 4He. It is a particularly simple quantum process: a phonon inthe liquid with energy ħω > EB, the binding energy, propagates to the free surface where it is either reflected or gives all its energy to an atom on the surface. This energy is used to overcome the binding forces and the balance, ħω − EB, is carried away by the atom as kinetic energy.

Access through your institution
Buy or subscribe

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Access through your institution

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Henshaw, D. G. & Woods, A. D. B. Phys. Rev. 121, 1266–1274 (1961).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Cowley, R. A. & Woods, A. D. B. Can. J. Phys. 49, 177–200 (1971).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Wyatt, A. F. G., Lockerbie, N. A. & Sherlock, R. A. Phys. Rev. Lett. 33, 1425–1428 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Slukin, t. J. & Bowley, R. M. J. Phys. C. Solid State Phys. 7, 1779–1785 (1974).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Wilkes, J. Liquid and Solid Helium (Oxford University Press, 1967).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Seligmann, P., Edwards, D. O., Sarwinski, R. E. & Tough, J. T. Phys. Rev. 181, 415–423 (1969).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Edwards, D. O. & Saam, W. F. Prog. Low Temp. Phys. 7A, 284–369 (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  8. McClintock, P. V. E. Cryogenics 18, 201–208 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Johnson, W. D. Jr & King, J. G. Phys. Rev. Lett. 16, 1191–1193 (1969).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Anderson P. W. Phys. Lett. 29A, 563–564 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Balibar S., Buechner J., Castaing B., Laroche, C. & Libchaber A. Phys. Rev. B18, 3096–3104 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4QL, UK

    M. J. Baird, F. R. Hope & A. F. G. Wyatt

Authors
  1. M. J. Baird
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. F. R. Hope
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. F. G. Wyatt
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Baird, M., Hope, F. & Wyatt, A. Quantized evaporation from liquid helium. Nature 304, 325–326 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/304325a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/304325a0

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing