Nonclassical rotational inertia in helium crystals

Phys Rev Lett. 2007 Sep 28;99(13):135302. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.135302. Epub 2007 Sep 26.

Abstract

It has been proposed that the observed nonclassical rotational inertia (NCRI) in solid helium results from the superflow of thin liquid films along interconnected grain boundaries within the sample. We have observed NCRI in large (4)He crystals grown at constant temperature and pressure, demonstrating that the superfluid grain boundary model cannot explain the phenomenon.