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Updated: Jan 26, 2026

Accurate Determination of the Equilibrium Surface Tension Values with Area Perturbation Tests
Published on: August 30, 2019
Highly-accurate density-virial-coefficient values for helium, neon, and argon at 0.01 ○C determined by
Christof Gaiser1, Bernd Fellmuth1
1Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Abbestrasse 2-12, 10587 Berlin, Germany.
Abstract:
The dielectric-constant gas thermometer of Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) developed for measuring the Boltzmann constant with a relative uncertainty of 1.9 parts per million was used for determining the virial coefficients of the three noble gases, helium, neon, and argon, at the triple point of water (0.01 ○C). For this purpose, isotherms were measured up to a maximum pressure of 7 MPa. The evaluation of the highly accurate data by fitting is required to derive an extended working equation for the dependence of the gas pressure on the dielectric constant. The following values have been obtained for the second B and third C virial coefficients, with the standard uncertainties given in parentheses as a multiple of the last digit, considering literature data for the dielectric virial coefficients: helium: BDCGT He0.01 ○C=11.925715 cm3/mol, CDCGT He0.01 ○C=113.4958 cm6/mol2; neon: BDCGT Ne0.01 ○C=10.994528 cm3/mol, CDCGT Ne0.01 ○C=215.815 cm6/mol2; argon: BDCGT Ar0.01 ○C=-21.233144 cm3/mol, CDCGT Ar0.01 ○C=1143.339 cm6/mol2. These values are compared with the results of the latest ab initio calculations of the second and third virial coefficients.
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