Time-dependent and thermal history effects in low temperature glass–ceramic capacitance thermometers

Abstract

The low temperature (4.2–45 K) calibrations of two commercial capacitance thermometers show drifts toward equilibrium values both when held at 4.2 K immediately after cooling from 77 K, and when subsequently warmed to higher temperatures. Irreproducibilities of up to 0.2 K in the equilibrium calibrations were traced to differences in the thermal history of the sensors.