The Nonwetting Behavior of Dilute 3He-4He Mixtures on Cs

Author: Klier J.   Wyatt A.F.G.  

Publisher: Springer Publishing Company

ISSN: 0022-2291

Source: Journal of Low Temperature Physics, Vol.116, Iss.1-2, 1999-07, pp. : 61-83

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Abstract

We present evidence for 3He interfacial bound states at the Cs-liquid He interface and show their influence on the interfacial free energies and the nonwetting behaviour of dilute 3He-4He mixtures on Cs. The bound state energy and effective mass for the 3He atoms at this interface are determined and found to be in good agreement with theoretical predictions. From the temperature dependence of the contact angle, direct evidence for a first order wetting transition at the lower wetting temperature is found. A detailed model is presented for the Cs-He mixture interface free energy and the contact angle and this model is shown to be in excellent agreement with the measurements. There is a short discussion on hysteresis and the thin film state. Finally it is emphasised that the large measured contact angles are only consistent with 3He bound states together with ripplons at the Cs-He mixture interface