Helium is a chemically inert, monoatomic noble gas (atomic number 2) characterized by a completely filled 1s electron shell, extremely low polarizability, and the highest ionization energy among all elements. In research contexts, it serves as an idealized almost‐noninteracting gas and a quantum fluid, especially in its isotopes ³He and ⁴He at cryogenic temperatures, where phenomena such as superfluidity, Bose–Einstein condensation of quasiparticles, and quantum vortices are studied. Its low boiling point and high thermal conductivity make helium a critical medium in low-temperature physics, high-resolution spectroscopy, gas-phase reaction dynamics, and as a carrier or buffer gas in various analytical and plasma-based techniques.
An international team including astronomers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the National Center of Competence in Research PlanetS has observed giant clouds of helium escaping from the exoplanet WASP-107b. Obtained ...
Astronomy
Dec 1, 2025
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An international research team led by the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI has measured the radius of the nucleus of muonic helium-3 with unprecedented precision. The results are an important stress test for theories and future ...
General Physics
May 22, 2025
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Helium-3 (He-3) on the moon's surface has drawn attention for decades. In 1939, a paper first noted the presence of Helium-3 on the moon. Still, it really came into the collective consciousness of space resource enthusiasts ...
Space Exploration
Mar 18, 2025
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50
An important part of physics research is examining why theoretical calculations and experimental results sometimes don't match. A recent experiment in Germany studied the helium-4 nucleus, also known as an alpha particle. ...
General Physics
Jul 25, 2024
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The α particle, also known as helium-4, consists of two protons and two neutrons. Although it is one of the most extensively studied atomic nuclei, the precise nature of its excited states remains unclear.
General Physics
Jan 31, 2024
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Helium ion beam (HIB) technology plays an important role in the extreme fields of nanofabrication. Due to high resolution and sensitivity, HIB nanofabrication technology is widely used to pattern nanostructures into components, ...
Nanophysics
Jul 29, 2022
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158
Physicists at Indiana University and the University of Tennessee have cracked the code to making microchips smaller, and the key is helium.
Nanophysics
Jul 6, 2022
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103
In a new study, scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have experimentally shown the existence of two species of few electron bubbles (FEBs) in superfluid helium for the first time. These FEBs can serve as a ...
Nanophysics
Jul 12, 2021
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