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This study reveals how nuclear quantum fluctuations drive a unique crossover between two distinct liquid states in distinguishable Helium-4, fundamentally altering transport properties like viscosity without requiring superfluidity. The findings demonstrate that at ultra-low temperatures, these systems exhibit anomalous gas-like dynamics and superdiffusion due to the dominance of quantum effects over thermal ones, challenging conventional hydrodynamic models. This research advances our understanding of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics in quantum fluids, offering new insights into the Frenkel line concept within subcritical regimes.
Quantum fluctuation-driven transport crossover between two liquid states in distinguishable helium-4
arXiv:2607.23127v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: We show the emergence of a quantum fluctuation-driven transport crossover between two liquid states in distinguishable helium-4 obeying Boltzmann statistics, in the absence of atomic exchange. Using path integral centroid molecular dynamics simulations over 0.1-3.3 K and 1-60 bar, we investigate the transport properties of two distinct liquid states: the low quantum-dispersion liquid (LQDL) and the high quantum-dispersion liquid (HQDL). While LQDL exhibits conventional liquid behavior consistent with the Stokes-Einstein (SE) relation, HQDL emerges at lower temperatures and displays anomalous gas-like transport characterized by superdiffusion and ultralow viscosity, accompanied by a breakdown of the SE relation. This counterintuitive emergence of gas-like dynamics upon cooling reflects the dominant role of nuclear quantum fluctuations, in contrast to thermal fluctuations at higher temperatures. Across the LQDL-HQDL boundary, we identify a transport crossover marked by a qualitative change in the velocity autocorrelation function (VAF), a transition in the Prandtl number, and the emergence of transport minima in shear and kinematic viscosities, thermal conductivity, and thermal diffusivity. These minima reflect a crossover from liquid-like to gas-like transport upon cooling in the low-temperature subcritical region, in addition to the universal transport minima observed in the supercritical regime. The transition from oscillatory to monotonic VAF defines a second Frenkel line, distinct from the conventional Frenkel line observed in the supercritical region. LQDL is a heat-transport-dominated dissipative fluid, whereas HQDL is a momentum-dominated inertial fluid. These results demonstrate that nuclear quantum fluctuations alone induce gas-like liquid behavior and provide a unified picture of transport phenomena in distinguishable helium-4 without superfluidity.
Abstract:We show the emergence of a quantum fluctuation-driven transport crossover between two liquid states in distinguishable helium-4 obeying Boltzmann statistics, in the absence of atomic exchange. Using path integral centroid molecular dynamics simulations over 0.1-3.3 K and 1-60 bar, we investigate the transport properties of two distinct liquid states: the low quantum-dispersion liquid (LQDL) and the high quantum-dispersion liquid (HQDL). While LQDL exhibits conventional liquid behavior consistent with the Stokes-Einstein (SE) relation, HQDL emerges at lower temperatures and displays anomalous gas-like transport characterized by superdiffusion and ultralow viscosity, accompanied by a breakdown of the SE relation. This counterintuitive emergence of gas-like dynamics upon cooling reflects the dominant role of nuclear quantum fluctuations, in contrast to thermal fluctuations at higher temperatures. Across the LQDL-HQDL boundary, we identify a transport crossover marked by a qualitative change in the velocity autocorrelation function (VAF), a transition in the Prandtl number, and the emergence of transport minima in shear and kinematic viscosities, thermal conductivity, and thermal diffusivity. These minima reflect a crossover from liquid-like to gas-like transport upon cooling in the low-temperature subcritical region, in addition to the universal transport minima observed in the supercritical regime. The transition from oscillatory to monotonic VAF defines a second Frenkel line, distinct from the conventional Frenkel line observed in the supercritical region. LQDL is a heat-transport-dominated dissipative fluid, whereas HQDL is a momentum-dominated inertial fluid. These results demonstrate that nuclear quantum fluctuations alone induce gas-like liquid behavior and provide a unified picture of transport phenomena in distinguishable helium-4 without superfluidity.
Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech); Disordered Systems and Neural Networks (cond-mat.dis-nn); Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci); Quantum Gases (cond-mat.quant-gas); Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
arXiv:2607.23127 [cond-mat.stat-mech]
(or arXiv:2607.23127v1 [cond-mat.stat-mech] for this version)
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2607.23127 arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)
Full text under the publisher's open licence · 285 words
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