1.4946896.pdf (18.58 MB)
An apparatus for studying electrical breakdown in liquid helium at 0.4 K and testing electrode materials for the SNS nEDM experiment
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 WilliamsonWe 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 InstrumentsISSN
0034-6748Publisher
AIP PublishingExternal DOI
Issue
4Volume
87Page range
045113Department affiliated with
- Physics and Astronomy Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2016-07-19First Open Access (FOA) Date
2016-07-19First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2016-07-19Usage metrics
Categories
No categories selectedKeywords
Licence
Exports
RefWorks
BibTeX
Ref. manager
Endnote
DataCite
NLM
DC