Indivisibility of Electron Bubbles in Helium
نویسنده
چکیده
A recent proposal by Maris[1], that single electron bubbles in helium might fission into separate, particle-like entities, does not properly take into account the failure of the adiabatic approximation when, due to tunneling, there is a long electronic time scale. The point along the fission pathway of a photoexcited p -state bubble, where the adiabatic approximation first breaks down, occurs well before the bubble waist has pinched down forming two cavities. In the connected two-lobed geometry, the p and s -states are strongly mixed by an antisymmetric vibrational mode, and the excitation decays by the mechanism where one lobe collapses while the other expands into the spherical s -state geometry. The extreme pressure jump in a photoexcited bubble leads to shock formation that may halt the elongation even before adiabaticity is compromised. In this case, the photoexcited bubble decays radiatively from the relaxed p -state geometry. 1
منابع مشابه
Multi-electron Bubbles under Pressure
Multi-electron bubbles (MEBs) can be macroscopic in size. The crucial surface electron density is limited to a bit more than 10 cm on flat helium surfaces, but can be greater than 10 cm in small bubbles and as high as 10 cm for helium under modest pressures and can have increased stability for negative pressures. We discuss some of the properties of as well as a method for stabilizing of MEBs.
متن کاملCalculation of the Shape of S-State Electron Bubbles in Liquid Helium
We consider the shape of electron bubbles in liquid helium. Grinfeld and Kojima (Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 105301, 2003) have shown that the in a certain pressure range the 2S electron bubble is unstable against small distortions with l = 3 and loses its spherical symmetry. We report more detailed calculations of this effect and also study the behavior of the 3S and 2P bubbles. PACS 67.40 · 77.22-d
متن کاملProperties of Electron Bubbles in Liquid Helium
We present calculations of a number of properties of electron bubbles in liquid helium. The size and shape of bubbles containing electrons in different quantum states is determined based on a simplified model. We then find how the geometry of these bubbles changes with the applied pressure. The radiative lifetime of bubbles with electrons in excited states is calculated. Finally, we use a quant...
متن کاملAnalysis of a Toy Model of Electron “Splitting”
We examine Maris’ recent suggestion that the fission of electron-inhabited bubbles in liquid helium may give rise to a new form of electron fractionization. We introduce a one-dimensional toy-model—a simplified analogue of the helium system—which may be analyzed using the Born-Oppenheimer approximation. We find that none of the model’s low-lying energy eigenstates have the form suggested by Mar...
متن کاملCavitation of Electron Bubbles in Liquid Helium Below Saturation Pressure
We have used a Hartree-type electron-helium potential together with a density functional description of liquid 4He and 3He to study the explosion of electron bubbles submitted to a negative pressure. The critical pressure at which bubbles explode has been determined as a function of temperature. It has been found that this critical pressure is very close to the pressure at which liquid helium b...
متن کامل