Triple line dynamics in superfluid helium

(Received 14 September 1992, accepted in final form 28 October 1992)

Abstract
Superfluid fails to wet any substrate, as has been shown theoretically and experimentally. We study some hydrodynamic features expected in partial wetting (in conditions where exchanges with the vapor are negligible): i) the dynamics of dewetting: thin films deposited on non wettable surfaces are metastable below a critical thickness and evolve by nucleation and growth of dry holes. The holes are predicted here to open at constant velocity. ii) The collective modes of a contact line, "triplons", which are propagative.