The persistent flow of a superfluid in a ring is discussed in terms analogous to those previously used for superconductors. The existence of a phase memory around the ring is shown to be responsible for energy minima with a periodic dependence on the total momentum which is directly related to the quantization of circulation. The general features are illustrated by means of the ideal Bose gas and the model of quasiparticles as examples.

• Received 5 February 1973

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.7.2187