Leiden, South Holland, Netherlands — Northwestern Europe
Heike Kamerlingh Onnes: Vloeibarr Helium / Liquid Helium
Door Meten, Tot Weten / Knowledge Through Measurement
Heike Kamerling Onnes bereikte op 10 juli 1908 als eerste de temperatuur van vloeibaar helium
On July 10, 1908, Heike Kamerlingh Onnes was the first to achieve the temperature for liquid helium.
Erected 2008 by Leids Instituut voor Onderzoek in de Natuurkunde.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Science & Medicine. A significant historical date for this entry is July 10, 1908.
Location. 52° 9.366′ N, 4° 29.393′ E. Marker is in Leiden, Zuid-Holland (South Holland). Marker is at the intersection of Steenschuur and Langebrug, on the left when traveling east on Steenschuur. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Steenschuur 25, Leiden, Zuid-Holland 2311 EZ, Netherlands. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Het koudste plekje op aarde / The Coldest Place on Earth (within shouting distance of this marker); De Buskruitramp / The Gunpowder Disaster (within shouting distance of this marker); Drukkerij en Kantoor Uitgeversmaatschappij A.W. Sijthoff (about 120 meters away, measured in a direct line); Willebrord Snel van Royen (Snellius 1580-1626) (about 120 meters away); Lodewijkskerk / St. Louis Church (about 120 meters away); Jan Steen (about 150 meters away); Sint Pieters- of Van der Speckhofje / Van der Speck Almshouse (about 180 meters away); Philips van Leyden (about 180 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Leiden.
Also see . . .
1. Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (Wikipedia, in English).
Excerpts: Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (21 September 1853 – 21 February 1926) was a Dutch physicist and Nobel laureate. He exploited the Hampson–Linde cycle to investigate how materials behave when cooled to nearly absolute zero and later to liquefy helium for the first time, in 1908. He also discovered superconductivity in 1911....(Submitted on October 24, 2022.)
On 10 July 1908, he was the first to liquefy helium, using several precooling stages and the Hampson–Linde cycle based on the Joule–Thomson effect. This way he lowered the temperature to the boiling point of helium (−269 °C, 4.2 K). By reducing the pressure of the liquid helium he achieved a temperature near 1.5 K. These were the coldest temperatures achieved on earth at the time. The equipment employed is at the Museum Boerhaave in Leiden.
2. Heike Kamerling Onnes (Wikipedia, in Dutch). A much more detailed biography of Onnes than the English Wikipedia version.
Excerpt from the trivia section (in translation): When Albert Einstein had just graduated, he applied for a job with Kamerlingh Onnes. Onnes never even replied to his postcard. Later, partly due to Onnes' efforts, Einstein was nevertheless brought to Leiden as an endowed professor.(Submitted on October 24, 2022.)
Additional keywords. Nobel physics cryogenics superconductivity
Credits. This page was last revised on December 24, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 24, 2022, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 66 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 24, 2022, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.