Number-conserving master equation theory for a dilute Bose-Einstein condensate

Journal Article · Sat Jan 15 04:00:00 EST 2011 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.83.013615· OSTI ID:21537026

Schelle, Alexej ^[1]; Wellens, Thomas; Buchleitner, Andreas ^[1]; Delande, Dominique ^[2]

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1. Physikalisches Institut der Albert-Ludwigs Universitaet Freiburg, Hermann-Herder Str. 3, D-79104 Freiburg (Germany)
2. Laboratoire Kastler-Brossel, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, ENS, CNRS, 4 Place Jussieu, F-75005 Paris (France)

We describe the transition of N weakly interacting atoms into a Bose-Einstein condensate within a number-conserving quantum master equation theory. Based on the separation of time scales for condensate formation and noncondensate thermalization, we derive a master equation for the condensate subsystem in the presence of the noncondensate environment under the inclusion of all two-body interaction processes. We numerically monitor the condensate particle number distribution during condensate formation, and derive a condition under which the unique equilibrium steady state of a dilute, weakly interacting Bose-Einstein condensate is given by a Gibbs-Boltzmann thermal state of N noninteracting atoms.

• OSTI ID: 21537026
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Journal Name: Physical Review. A Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 83; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOMS
BASIC INTERACTIONS
BOSE-EINSTEIN CONDENSATION
CONSERVATION LAWS
EQUATIONS
EQUILIBRIUM
INTERACTIONS
MANY-BODY PROBLEM
PARTICLES
SLOWING-DOWN
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
THERMALIZATION
TWO-BODY PROBLEM
WEAK INTERACTIONS