Observation of the morphology of thin films of solid helium deposited from the fluid onto sapphire |
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Authors: | Franck J. P. Gleeson J. Kornelsen K. E. Manuel J. R. McGreer K. A. |
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Affiliation: | (1) Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
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Abstract: | Thin layers of solid helium were grown on sapphire single-crystal substrates at pressures from about 500 bar to 9 kbar. Grain boundaries can be observed in these layer crystals. The morphology of the grains depends on the crystal modification. In the hcp phase (below about 1.13 kbar) a system of parallel bands is observed, probably due to slip and twinning. In the fcc phase (above 1.13 kbar) a polygonal structure similar to a helium froth is found. Melting of this froth in the fcc phase shows grain boundary melting; fluid helium is wetting the fcc grains. Grain boundaries in the hcp phase are, in contrast, not wetted by fluid helium. Near the triple point at 1.13 kbar and 15.0 K one can deposit both crystalline phases side by side. In such structures, the transition fcc hcp4He can be observed during isothermal holding. The transition proceeds by the parallel motion of low-energy grain boundaries. |
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