Final answer:
Halving the thermal energy of helium gas results in halving its temperature in Kelvin, since temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of gas particles.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the thermal energy of a gas is halved, this directly translates to a reduction in the average kinetic energy of the gas particles. According to the kinetic theory of gases, the temperature of a gas is directly proportional to the average kinetic energy of its particles. Thus, if we halve the thermal energy, we also halve the temperature measured in Kelvin. So, if the initial temperature of the helium gas is T, after halving the thermal energy, the new temperature would be T/2.