Collapse times of dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates

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Collapse times of dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates

C. Ticknor, N. G. Parker, A. Melatos, S. L. Cornish, D. H. J. O’Dell, and A. M. Martin

Phys. Rev. A 78, 061607(R) – Published 17 December 2008

Abstract

We investigate the time taken for global collapse by a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate. Two semianalytical approaches and exact numerical integration of the mean-field dynamics are considered. The semianalytical approaches are based on a Gaussian ansatz and a Thomas-Fermi solution for the shape of the condensate. The regimes of validity for these two approaches are determined, and their predictions for the collapse time revealed and compared with numerical simulations. The dipolar interactions introduce anisotropy into the collapse dynamics and predominantly lead to collapse in the plane perpendicular to the axis of polarization.

Received 24 September 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.78.061607

Authors & Affiliations

C. Ticknor¹, N. G. Parker², A. Melatos³, S. L. Cornish⁴, D. H. J. O’Dell², and A. M. Martin³

¹ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum-Atom Optics and Centre for Atom Optics and Ultrafast Spectroscopy, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122, Australia
²Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4M1
³School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
⁴Department of Physics, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, United Kingdom

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Vol. 78, Iss. 6 — December 2008

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