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Superfluid liquid helium flows uphill without friction
Cooled below two Kelvin liquid helium loses all viscosity climbing container walls
When liquid helium-4 is cooled below roughly two Kelvin, it undergoes a quantum transition into a superfluid state known as helium II. In this state, the liquid exhibits zero viscosity and infinite thermal conductivity, flowing effortlessly through microscopic pores. Superfluid helium forms a thin film that creeps up and over container walls in defiance of gravity.
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Tags: materials, superfluid, helium
Superfluid liquid helium flows uphill without friction: the short answers
- Where does this come from, and can I check it?
- Cooled below two Kelvin liquid helium loses all viscosity climbing container walls. The figure is taken from NIST, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
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