arXiv:0912.3629 · Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics
Free expansion of a Bose–Einstein condensate in the presence of a thermal cloud
Krzysztof Gawryluk, Mirosław Brewczyk, Mariusz Gajda, Kazimierz Rza̧żewski
Abstract
We investigate numerically the free-fall expansion of a 87 Rb atom condensate at nonzero temperatures. The classical field approximation is used to separate the condensate and the thermal cloud during the expansion. We calculate the radial and axial widths of the expanding condensate and find clear evidence that the thermal component changes the dynamics of the condensate. Our results are contrasted with the experimental data.