2001/09/19 by Frederic Caupin, Sebastien Balibar, Humphrey J Maris
Physics and Astronomy · #cond-mat.soft #cond-mat.stat-mech
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.87.145302
published as Phys. Rev. Lett. 87 (2001), 145302 · 5 pages, 3 figures
arxiv created 2001/09/19 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30
We propose that the liquid-gas spinodal line of helium 3 reaches a minimum at 0.4 K. This feature is supported by our cavitation measurements. We also show that it is consistent with extrapolations of sound velocity measurements. Speedy [J. Phys. Chem. 86, 3002 (1982)] previously proposed this peculiar behavior for the spinodal of water and related it to a change in sign of the expansion coefficient alpha, i. e. a line of density maxima. Helium 3 exhibits such a line at positive pressure. We consider its extrapolation to negative pressure. Our discussion raises fundamental questions about the sign of alpha in a Fermi liquid along its spinodal.