Structure of Large3He-4He Mixed Drops around a Dopant Molecule

Abstract

We have investigated how helium atoms are distributed within a mixed 3HeN3-4HeN4 large drop with N3 ≫ N4. For drops doped with a SF6 molecule or a Xe atom, we have found that the number of 3He atoms within the volume containing the first two solvation shells increases when N4 decreases in such a way that these dopants may be in a superfluid environment for N4 ≥60, which gradually disappears as N4 decreases. The result is in qualitative agreement with recent experimental data. © 1999 The American Physical Society.