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Relaxation Method PDF

This document describes the relaxation method for measuring specific heat at low temperatures. The relaxation method measures the temperature relaxation time τ of a sample as it returns to equilibrium with a heat bath after being perturbed by a constant power input. The specific heat of the sample can then be calculated from the measured τ using the relation C = κτ, where κ is the thermal conductance between the sample and heat bath. This allows accurate measurement of specific heat for samples as small as 1 mg in mass at temperatures below 50 mK. The document provides details on the theoretical model and experimental setup used in the relaxation method.

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Ronit Mohapatra
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211 views3 pages

Relaxation Method PDF

This document describes the relaxation method for measuring specific heat at low temperatures. The relaxation method measures the temperature relaxation time τ of a sample as it returns to equilibrium with a heat bath after being perturbed by a constant power input. The specific heat of the sample can then be calculated from the measured τ using the relation C = κτ, where κ is the thermal conductance between the sample and heat bath. This allows accurate measurement of specific heat for samples as small as 1 mg in mass at temperatures below 50 mK. The document provides details on the theoretical model and experimental setup used in the relaxation method.

Uploaded by

Ronit Mohapatra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Relaxation method for Specific heat

measurement
Ronit Mahapatra
411ph5071
March 8, 2015
Abstract
Thermal relaxation calorimeter is important method for low-temperature
and small specific heat measurement. This method allows calculating heat capacity of bulk crystals of mass of 1 mg for temperature below 50 mK and give
heat capacity with high accuracy as it measures sample relaxation time while
maintaining both, bath temperature and external parameters constant.

Introduction
Specific Heat
It is the amount of heat per unit mass required to raise the temperature by
1 C. Mathematically represented by Q = mcT , but this relationship doesnt
apply when phase change is encountered, as the heat added or evolved during phase change doesnt change the temperature.
And thermodynamically, specific heat is represented as
Cp =

( Q
T )v

or

Cv =

( Q
T )p

Determining Specific heat


There are large number of calorimetry methods to determine Specific Heat:

2)
3)
4)
5)
6)

1) Adiabatic calorimetry
Heat pulse calorimetry
Relaxation calorimetry
Dual slope calorimetry
AC calorimetry
Differential calorimetry

Relaxation Method
It uses simple relation to calculate the specific heat i.e
C =
where, C : specific heat
: thermal conductance of link between reservoir and platform
: temperature relaxation time constant
Sample of heat capacity Cs and Temperature Ts is fixed on the sample holder
of heat capacity CSH and temperature TSH assuming the sample and the sample
holder to be isothermal.RSH being the resistance between sample and sample
holder connected to heat bath TT b by a link of thermal conductance RT b and
negligible heat capacity.
A constant power P0 is applied to sample holder until equilibrium is achieved.
The power is switched off at T = T1 and sample relaxes towards TT b . Hypothetically For RT b >> RSH sample temperature follows
TS (t) TT b = P0 RT b e

(C

t
S +CSH )RT b

T e

Changing TT b , set of points is obtained for C(T ) = (CS + CSH )(T ). The
temperature difference must be kept as small as possible.
At very low temperature, thermal resistance RSH between sample and sample holder cant be neglected as its temperature dependence gets steeper than
RT b , thus introduces second time constant and decay is given by,
t

TS (t) TT b = A1 e 1 + A2 e 2
and A1 + A2 = T = P0 RT b
2 2
Hence, CS + CSH = K( A1A11 +A
+A2 )

but in realistic situations, tau2 is much smaller than 1 and cant be measured with enough accuracy.
Thus
1 1
CS + CSH ( AT
)RT b

Example
Measurement of Specific Heat of Heavily Doped NTD (Neutron Transmutation Doped) Germanium.

References
1. How to measure heat capacities at low temperature - Springer

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