Title
Magnetic Levitation of Liquid Helium
Document Type
Article
Department
Physics (Pomona)
Publication Date
1997
Abstract
We report on the stable levitation of liquid helium drops of up to 2 cm diameter in a magnetic trap at temperatures down to 1.5 K in the earth's gravitational field. The production and properties of a magnetic trap for diamagnetic materials is discussed. The behavior of liquids in such a trap is analyzed, including the deformation of a liquid drop by the trap forces. We frequently observe two drops in the magnetic trap which are held in apparent contact for up to 3 minutes without coalescing. This non-coalescence effect was only seen above the superfluid transition temperature. We explain this effect in terms of the existence of a vapor layer between the drops caused by evaporation of the drops, much like the suspension of a liquid drop above a hot surface known as the Leidenfrost effect.
Rights Information
© 1997 Plenum Publishing Corporation; © Springer, Part of Springer Science+Business Media
Terms of Use & License Information
DOI
10.1007/BF02403919
Recommended Citation
Weilert, M.A. et al. "Magnetic Levitation of Liquid Helium," in the Journal of Low Temperature Physics, Vol. 106, Nos. 1-2 (1997), 101-131. DOI: 10.1007/BF02403919