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Originally published in Science Express on 2 September 2004
Science 24 September 2004:
Vol. 305. no. 5692, pp. 1941 - 1944
DOI: 10.1126/science.1101501
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Reports

Observation of Superflow in Solid Helium

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

We report on the observation of nonclassical rotational inertia in solid helium-4 confined to an annular channel in a sample cell under torsional motion, demonstrating superfluid behavior. The effect shows up as a drop in the resonant oscillation period as the sample cell is cooled below 230 millikelvin. 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.

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

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: chan{at}phys.psu.edu

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