Until a thermal equilibrium is attained, a body with a temperature greater than will transmit its heat to liquid nitrogen. Because liquid nitrogen has a boiling point of , it will evaporate, using up the transferred heat as latent heat for the phase transition. Only the liquid (below ) nitrogen remains in touch with the item as the now heated nitrogen gas evaporates and leaves the thing.
Therefore, the heat released is used up by the phase shift of nitrogen, which causes all of the heated nitrogen to evaporate, leaving only liquid nitrogen (below ) in contact with the item.