Calibration and Use of Germanium Resistance Thermometers for Precise Heat Capacity Measurements from 1 to 25°K. High Purity Copper for Interlaboratory Heat Capacity Comparisons

Abstract

The cryogenic apparatus and techniques used to calibrate 3 platinum‐encapsulated 4‐lead germanium resistance thermometers for use in precision calorimetry from 1 to 25°K are described. The calibration data for each thermometer were fitted with the aid of a digital computer by a polynomial expressing logR in terms of powers of logT. The sensitivity and temperature‐cycling stability of these thermometers were adequate to recommend this type of temperature sensor for accurate low temperature calorimetry. A test of the temperature scale and of an isothermal type calorimeter was made by measuring the heat capacity of a sample of 99.99+% copper from the 1965 Calorimetry Conference Copper Standard and comparing the results with those obtained by other investigators. An equation to represent the heat capacity of pure copper from 1 to 25°K, based upon appropriate literature results and the present data, is offered as a convenient copper reference equation for intercomparison of heat capacity results from various laboratories.