Measurement of the surface tension of superfluid4He at low temperature by capillary wave resonances

Abstract

The surface tension of liquid4He is determined from the frequencies of micron wavelength capillary waves. The extrapolated zero temperature value, σ=375±3 μJm−2, is in agreement with the pioneering static capillary rise determination but 6% higher than the more recent surface tension gravity wave measurements. Flow in the meniscus in this latter experiment is shown to mimic a surface tension correction to the dispersion relation there used which is of the same sign and magnitude as the discrepancy.