1. Supercooling of the A phase of 3 He.
- Author
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Tian Y, Lotnyk D, Eyal A, Zhang K, Zhelev N, Abhilash TS, Chavez A, Smith EN, Hindmarsh M, Saunders J, Mueller E, and Parpia JM
- Abstract
Because of the extreme purity, lack of disorder, and complex order parameter, the first-order superfluid
3 He A-B transition is the leading model system for first order transitions in the early universe. Here we report on the path dependence of the supercooling of the A phase over a wide range of pressures below 29.3 bar at nearly zero magnetic field. The A phase can be cooled significantly below the thermodynamic A-B transition temperature. While the extent of supercooling is highly reproducible, it depends strongly upon the cooling trajectory: The metastability of the A phase is enhanced by transiting through regions where the A phase is more stable. We provide evidence that some of the additional supercooling is due to the elimination of B phase nucleation precursors formed upon passage through the superfluid transition. A greater understanding of the physics is essential before3 He can be exploited to model transitions in the early universe., (© 2023. The Author(s).)- Published
- 2023
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