Lambda point
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The Lambda point is the temperature (approximately 2.17 K) below which normal fluid helium (helium I) transitions to superfluid helium II. More precisely, there is a lower lambda point at 2.172 K, 0.0497 atm, and an upper one at 1.76 K, 29.8 atm [1].
The point's name derives from the graph that results from plotting the specific heat capacity as a function of temperature (for a given pressure), which resembles the Greek letter lambda. The specific heat capacity tends towards infinity as the temperature approaches the lambda point.
[edit] External links
- What is superfluidity? (includes a graph)