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Published Online September 2, 2004
Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1101501

Reports

Submitted on June 15, 2004
Accepted on August 12, 2004

Observation of Superflow in Solid Helium

E. Kim 1 and M. H. W. Chan 1*

1 Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
M. H. W. Chan , E-mail: chan{at}phys.psu.edu

We report on the observation of non-classical rotational inertia in solid 4He confined to an annular channel in a sample cell under torsional motion, demonstrating superfluid behavior. The effect shows up as an abrupt drop in the resonant oscillation period as the sample cell is cooled below 230 mK. Measurement of 17 solid samples allows us to map out the boundary of this superfluid-like solid or supersolid phase from the melting line up to 66 bars. This experiment indicates that superfluid behavior is found in all three phases of matter; gas, liquid and solid.


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