superfluid

[ soo-per-floo-id ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a fluid that exhibits frictionless flow, very high heat conductivity, and other unusual physical properties, helium below 2.186 K being the only known example.

superfluid

/ ˌsuːpəˈfluːɪd /

physics a fluid in a state characterized by a very low viscosity, high thermal conductivity, high capillarity, etc. The only known example is that of liquid helium at temperatures close to absolute zero

superfluid

/ so̅o̅′pər-flo̅o̅′ĭd /

A fluid, such as liquid helium, that flows with little or no friction at temperatures close to absolute zero.

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First recorded in 1940–45; super- + fluid

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A quirk of quantum mechanics, a superfluid is a substance that acts like a fluid with zero viscosity.

Scientists have caught glimpses of superfluids by cooling helium to temperatures barely above absolute zero.

In conventional superconductors, where clusters of atoms pair free electrons, just 1 in 100,000 electrons join the superconducting superfluid.

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