ON PAIRED NATURE OF SUPERFLUID CONDENSATE IN HELIUM-II

A hypothesis on pairing of helium atoms below the lambda-point is put forth on the basis of empirical data on the dynamics of He-3 impurity atoms in superfluid He-4, that suggest an abnormally large effective m ass of He-3. The role of paired condensate in superfluidity of He-4 is considered as well as the possibility of additional experimental proo fs of the pairing of He-4 atoms, including the observation of vortices with a half-integral velocity circulation quantum. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics. [S1063-777X(97)00112-6].