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The miracle of superfluid: What mysterious phenomena does helium-3 show at extremely low temperatures?
Helium-3 (He-3) is a lightweight and stable helium isotope with two protons and one neutron.Compared with the most common helium isotope helium-4 (with two protons and two neutrons), helium-3 and ordinary hydrogen (hydrogen-1) are the only stable nuclides with more protons than neutrons.Helium-3 was first discovered in 1939 and is considered an important part of the universe. Its quantity gradually escapes from the Earth's crust into the atmosphere and outer space over time.
Helium-3 is considered an ideal source of energy for future nuclear fusion. Its fusion reactions not only do not require high temperatures, but also reduce harmful radiation generated in traditional nuclear fusions.
In the physical properties of helium-3, its low atomic weight makes it very different from helium-4.The relative mass of helium-3 is 3.016 u, while the mass of helium-4 is 4.0026 u, which makes it mainly determined by its zero point energy in terms of microscopic physical properties.Its atmospheric phase changes have attracted great attention from scientists, especially in terms of superfluid properties.When helium-3 is at extremely low temperatures, this unique property is revealed, making us look forward to its potential application prospects.
Superfluid properties of helium-3
The superfluid properties of helium-3 are one of its most eye-catching features.Unlike the Bose-Einstein condensation of helium-4, the atoms of helium-3 are fermions, which means that at extremely low temperatures, their atoms will form a structure similar to Cooper pairs.These pairs are able to flow without any friction, and this state is called superfluid.
In the 1970s, scientists David Lee, Douglas Osherro and Robert Coleman Richardson discovered two superfluid phases of helium-3 and won the 1996 Nobel Prize in Physics for this. .
The superfluid properties of helium-3 can be observed in two different phase orders—phase A and phase B.Phase A is stable at high temperature and high pressure, and also shows the characteristics of symmetric breakage under the influence of external magnetic fields.Research on this process represents very pure condensed matter, which allows scientists to experiment with it more accurately.
Potential Application of Helium-3
Helium-3 not only plays an important role in physics research, but also has wide application potential in many fields.First, helium-3 has performed well in neutron detection instruments, especially in applications in nuclear safety and scientific research.Because helium-3 has a high absorption cross-section for thermal neutrons, it is often used as a conversion gas for neutron detectors.These characteristics make Helium-3 an important part of safety detection technology.
Helium-3 can also be used in ultra-low temperature refrigeration technology, and the derived Helium-3 refrigerator can reduce the temperature to a range of 0.2 to 0.3 Kelvin.
In the field of medical imaging, helium-3 also demonstrates its unique contribution.Its nuclear spin properties allow polarized helium-3 to be used in imaging studies of lung ventilation.This technology is very critical for the diagnosis and treatment management of chronic respiratory diseases.
The future prospects of helium-3
As the increasing demand for clean energy, the value of helium-3 will continue to rise.The mining of interstellar resources and the potential development of helium-3 on the surface of the moon have attracted widespread attention from the scientific and industrial circles.Many people believe that helium-3, as the fuel for nuclear fusion reactions, can provide endless clean energy for humans.
But with the shortage of helium-3 resources, how to effectively develop and utilize this valuable resource remains a hot topic in current research.Whether these challenges can be overcome may determine how far will humanity go on the road to energy sustainability in the future?
