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By Harvey Sapigao
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Liquid helium in superfluid phase. (Photo credit: Alfred Leitner) |
At extremely cold temperatures, things become fascinating. Much like how water turns into ice, some matter undergoes phase transitions that give them interesting properties. Just above absolute zero, for example, aluminum transforms into a superconductor, while helium isotopes change from gas to superfluid. A foundational principle, known as the Kibble-Zurek mechanism (KZM), explains how these materials behave as they cool at different rates.
