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April 2009: Supersolid of superglass? Cornell researchers study a strange state of matter in helium
When helium is cooled to around 4 degrees above absolute zero, it turns liquid. Make it a couple of degrees cooler, and it becomes a "superfluid" that flows without resistance from its container, just as electrons flow without resistance in a superconductor.
Now pressurize the helium to about 50 atmospheres until it solidifies, and then cool it a lot more to about two-tenths of a degree above absolute zero, and it becomes--well, there's a lot of argument about what it is. Perhaps a supersolid, or a solid with some superfluid moving through it.
In fact, it may be a superglass, reports J.C. Seamus Davis, the James Gilbert White Distinguished Professor in the Physical Sciences at Cornell, and colleagues in the May 1 issue of the journal Science.
other news
September 2008: Scientists create world's thinnest balloon, just 1 atom thick
May 2008: Michelle Wang named Howard Hughes Institute Investigator
November 2009: Michelle Wang elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society
October 2009: Professor Emeritus Raphael Littauer dies
October 2007: A new home for physical sciences
August 2009: Cornell electron storage ring is test case for International Linear Collider
June 2009: Cornell particle detector research prompts 500 (and counting) peer-reviewed paper submiss
May 2009: Siggia elected to National Academy of Sciences
January 2009: Researchers unzip molecules to measure interactions keeping DNA packed in cells
April 2009: Supersolid of superglass? Cornell researchers study a strange state of matter in helium
September 2009: Carbon nanotubes could make efficient solar cells