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An apparatus for studying electrical breakdown in liquid helium at 0.4 K and testing electrode materials for the SNS nEDM experiment

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Version 2 2023-06-12, 08:30
Version 1 2023-06-09, 02:11
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-12, 08:30 authored by T M Ito, J C Ramsey, W Yao, D H Beck, V Cianciolo, S M Clayton, C Crawford, S A Currie, B W Filippone, Clark GriffithClark Griffith, M Makela, R Schmid, G M Seidel, Z Tang, D Wagner, W Wei, S E Williamson
We have constructed an apparatus to study DC electrical breakdown in liquid helium at temperatures as low as 0.4 K and at pressures between the saturated vapor pressure and ~600 torr. The apparatus can house a set of electrodes that are 12 cm in diameter with a gap of 1 - 2 cm between them, and a potential up to ±50 kV can be applied to each electrode. Initial results demonstrated that it is possible to apply fields exceeding 100 kV/cm in a 1 cm gap between two electropolished stainless steel electrodes 12 cm in diameter for a wide range of pressures at 0.4 K. We also measured the current between two electrodes. Our initial results, I < 1 pA at 45 kV, correspond to a lower bound on the effective volume resistivity of LHe of ?_V > 5 × 1018 O·cm. This lower bound is 5 times larger than the bound previously measured. We report the design, construction, and operational experience of the apparatus, as well as initial results.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Review of Scientific Instruments

ISSN

0034-6748

Publisher

AIP Publishing

Issue

4

Volume

87

Page range

045113

Department affiliated with

  • Physics and Astronomy Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2016-07-19

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2016-07-19

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2016-07-19

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