Quantum fluids: Difference between revisions

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imported>Sekhar Talluri
m (fix typo for sqrt)
imported>Sekhar Talluri
m (trying to fix scope of sqrt operator)
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A quantum fluid is a fluid where the mean distance between the particles is less than or comparable to the thermal de Broglie wavelength <math> h / \sqrt(2 \pi m k T)</math>, where
A quantum fluid is a fluid where the mean distance between the particles is less than or comparable to the thermal de Broglie wavelength <math> h / \sqrt{(2 \pi m k T)}</math>, where
: <math> h </math> is the Planck's constant
: <math> h </math> is the Planck's constant
: <math> m </math> m is the mass of the particles of the fluid
: <math> m </math> m is the mass of the particles of the fluid

Revision as of 03:46, 16 January 2009

A quantum fluid is a fluid where the mean distance between the particles is less than or comparable to the thermal de Broglie wavelength , where

is the Planck's constant
m is the mass of the particles of the fluid
k is the Boltzmann's constant and
is the temperature.

In such cases there is a strong overlap of wavefunctions of adjacent particles and hence quantum statistics are applicable. This often results in unusual observable macroscopic phenomena, such as superfluidity, superconductivity and other 'super' transport phenomena.

Reference: Nobel lecture by D.M.Lee (Physics, 1996).