Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Thermodynamics of the Two-Fluid Model of Liquid Helium II

Abstract

THE two-fluid model for liquid helium II first put forward by the late F. London1 has been largely accepted as at least a very useful working hypothesis. There are, however, certain thermodynamical difficulties arising from this model which do not seem to have received an entirely satisfactory solution. For example, Gorter2 has pointed out that an application of the phase rule leads to a unique triple point for the co-existence of the two fluids and the vapour phase, whereas, in fact, a whole range of such points is observed; and he has suggested that this may be explained by assuming that the Gibbs function for the fluids and vapour is not linear in the concentrations.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. London, F., Nature, 141, 643 (1938).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Gorter, C. J., Physica, 15, 523 (1949).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Smits, A., “Die Theorie der Allotropie” (Barth, 1921).

    Google Scholar 

  4. London, H., Proc. Roy. Soc., A, 171, 484 (1939).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

HERIVEL, J. Thermodynamics of the Two-Fluid Model of Liquid Helium II. Nature 174, 322–323 (1954). https://doi.org/10.1038/174322a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/174322a0

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing