arXiv subjects

S. Stringari

Publications and source records attributed to S. Stringari.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv1997

Thermodynamics of a trapped Bose-condensed gas

We investigate the thermodynamic behaviour of a Bose gas interacting with repulsive forces and confined in a harmonic anisotropic trap. We develop the formalism of mean field theory for non uniform systems at finite temperature, based on the generalization of Bogoliubov theory for uniform gases. By employing the WKB semiclassical approximation for the excited states we derive systematic results for the temperature dependence of various thermodynamic quantities: condensate fraction, density profiles, thermal energy, specific heat and moment of inertia. Our analysis points out important differences with respect to the thermodynamic behaviour of uniform Bose gases. This is mainly the consequence of a major role played by single particle states at the boundary of the condensate. We find that the thermal depletion of the condensate is strongly enhanced by the presence of repulsive interactions and that the critical temperature is decreased with respect to the predictions of the non-interacting model. Our work points out an important scaling behaviour exhinited by the system in large $N$ limit. Scaling permits to express all the relevant thermodynamic quantities in terms of only two parameters: the reduced temperature $t=T/T_c^0$ and the ratio between the $T=0$ value of the chemical potential and the critical temperature $T_c^0$ for Bose-Einstein condensation. Comparisons with first experimental results and ab-initio calculations are presented.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1996

Scaling and thermodynamics of a trapped Bose-condensed gas

We investigate the thermodynamics of a Bose gas interacting with repulsive forces and confined in a harmonic trap. We show that the relevant parameters of the system (temperature, number N of atoms, harmonic oscillator length, deformation of the trap, s-wave scattering length) fix its large N thermodynamic behaviour through two dimensionless scaling parameters. These are the reduced temperature t=T/T^0_c and the ratio ηbetween the T=0 value of the chemical potential, evaluated in the Thomas-Fermi limit, and the critical temperature T_c^0 of the non-interacting model. The scaling functions relative to the condensate fraction, energy, chemical potential and moment of inertia are calculated within the Popov approximation.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1996

Nonlinear Dynamics of a Bose Condensed Gas

We investigate the dynamic behavior of a Bose-condensed gas of alkali atoms interacting with repulsive forces and confined in a magnetic trap at zero temperature. Using the Thomas-Fermi approximation, we rewrite the Gross-Pitaevskii equation in the form of the hydrodynamic equations of superfluids. We present solutions describing large amplitude oscillations of the atomic cloud as well as the expansion of the gas after switching off the trap. We compare our theoretical predictions with the recent experimental data obtained at Jila and MIT.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1996

Quantum Evaporation from Superfluid Helium at Normal Incidence

We study the scattering of atoms, rotons and phonons at the free surface of $^4$He at normal incidence and calculate the evaporation, condensation and reflection probabilities. Assuming elastic one-to-one processes and using general properties of the scattering matrix, such as unitarity and time reversal, we argue that all nonzero probabilities can be written in terms of a single energy-dependent parameter. Quantitative predictions are obtained using linearized time dependent density functional theory.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1996

Hydrodynamic modes in a trapped Bose gas above the Bose-Einstein transition

We discuss the collective modes of a trapped Bose gas in the hydrodynamic regime where atomic collisions ensure local thermal equilibrium for the distribution function. Starting from the conservation laws, in the linearized limit we derive a closed equation for the velocity fluctuations in a trapped Bose gas above the Bose-Einstein transition temperature. Explicit solutions for a parabolic trap are given. We find that the surface modes have the same dispersion relation as the one recently obtained by Stringari for the oscillations of the condensate at $T=0$ within the Thomas-Fermi approximation. Results are also given for the monopole ``breathing'' mode as well as for the $m=0$ excitations which result from the coupling of the monopole and quadrupole modes in an anisotropic parabolic well.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1996

Condensate fraction and critical temperature of a trapped interacting Bose gas

By using a mean field approach, based on the Popov approximation, we calculate the temperature dependence of the condensate fraction of an interacting Bose gas confined in an anisotropic harmonic trap. For systems interacting with repulsive forces we find a significant decrease of the condensate fraction and of the critical temperature with respect to the predictions of the non-interacting model. These effects go in the opposite direction compared to the case of a homogeneous gas. An analytic result for the shift of the critical temperature holding to first order in the scattering length is also derived.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1996

The Surface Region of Superfluid $^4$He as a Dilute Bose-Condensed Gas

In the low-density surface region of superfluid $^4$He, the atoms are far apart and collisions can be ignored. The only effect of the interactions is from the long-range attractive Hartree potential produced by the distant high-density bulk liquid. As a result, at $T=0$, all the atoms occupy the same single-particle state in the low-density tail. Striking numerical evidence for this 100\% surface BEC was given by Pandharipande and coworkers in 1988. We derive a generalized Gross-Pitaevskii equation for the inhomogeneous condensate wave function $Φ(z)$ in the low-density region valid at all temperatures. The overall amplitude of $Φ(z)$ is fixed by the bulk liquid, which ensures that it vanishes everywhere at the bulk transition temperature.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1996

Order Parameter at the Boundary of a Trapped Bose Gas

Through a suitable expansion of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation near the classical turning point, we obtain an explicit solution for the order parameter at the boundary of a trapped Bose gas interacting with repulsive forces. The kinetic energy of the system, in terms of the classical radius $R$ and of the harmonic oscillator length $a_{_{HO}}$, follows the law $E_{kin}/N \propto R^{-2} [\log (R/a_{_{HO}}) + \hbox{const.}]$, approaching, for large $R$, the results obtained by solving numerically the Gross-Pitaevskii equation. The occurrence of a Josephson-type current in the presence of a double trap potential is finally discussed.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1996

Collective excitations of a trapped Bose-condensed gas

By taking the hydrodynamic limit we derive, at $T=0$, an explicit solution of the linearized time dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation for the order parameter of a Bose gas confined in a harmonic trap and interacting with repulsive forces. The dispersion law $ω=ω_0(2n^2+2n\ell+3n+\ell)^{1/2}$ for the elementary excitations is obtained, to be compared with the prediction $ω=ω_0(2n+\ell)$ of the noninteracting harmonic oscillator model. Here $n$ is the number of radial nodes and $\ell$ is the orbital angular momentum. The effects of the kinetic energy pressure, neglected in the hydrodynamic approximation, are estimated using a sum rule approach. Results are also presented for deformed traps and attractive forces.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1996

Quantum Evaporation from the Free Surface of Superfluid 4He

The scattering of atoms and rotons at the free surface of superfluid 4He is studied in the framework of linearised time dependent mean field theory. The phenomenological Orsay-Trento density functional is used to solve numerically the equations of motion for the elementary excitations in presence of a free surface and to calculate the flux of rotons and atoms in the reflection, condensation, and evaporation processes. The probability associated with each process is evaluated as a function of energy, for incident angles such that only rotons and atoms are involved in the scattering. The evaporation probability for R+ rotons is predicted to increase quite rapidly from zero, near the roton minimum, to 1 as the energy increases. Conversely the evaporation from R- rotons remains smaller than 0.25 for all energies. Close to the energy of the roton minimum the mode-change process is the dominant one. The consistency of the results with general properties of the scattering matrix, such as unitarity and time reversal, is explicitly discussed. The condensation of atoms into bulk excitations is also investigated.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1995

Surface Region of Superfluid Helium as an Inhomogeneous Bose-Condensed Gas

We present arguments that the low density surface region of self-bounded superfluid $^4$He systems is an inhomogeneous dilute Bose gas, with almost all of the atoms occupying the same single-particle state at $T = 0$. Numerical evidence for this complete Bose-Einstein condensation was first given by the many-body variational calculations of $^4$He droplets by Lewart, Pandharipande and Pieper in 1988. We show that the low density surface region can be treated rigorously using a generalized Gross-Pitaevskii equation for the Bose order parameter.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1995

Bosons in anisotropic traps: ground state and vortices

We solve the Gross-Pitaevskii equations for a dilute atomic gas in a magnetic trap, modeled by an anisotropic harmonic potential. We evaluate the wave function and the energy of the Bose Einstein condensate as a function of the particle number, both for positive and negative scattering length. The results for the transverse and vertical size of the cloud of atoms, as well as for the kinetic and potential energy per particle, are compared with the predictions of approximated models. We also compare the aspect ratio of the velocity distribution with first experimental estimates available for $^{87}$Rb. Vortex states are considered and the critical angular velocity for production of vortices is calculated. We show that the presence of vortices significantly increases the stability of the condensate in the case of attractive interactions.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1995

Moment of Inertia and Superfluidity of a Trapped Bose Gas

The temperature dependence of the moment of inertia of a dilute Bose gas confined in a harmonic trap is determined. Deviations from the rigid value, due to the occurrence of Bose-Einstein condensation, reveal the superfluid behaviour of the system. In the noninteracting gas these deviations become important at temperatures of the order of $T_c N^{-1/12}$. The role of interactions is also discussed.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1995

Rotons and Quantum Evaporation from Superfluid 4He

The probability of evaporation induced by $R^+$ and $R^-$ rotons at the surface of superfluid helium is calculated using time dependent density functional theory. We consider excitation energies and incident angles such that phonons do not take part in the scattering process. We predict sizable evaporation rates, which originate entirely from quantum effects. Results for the atomic reflectivity and for the probability of the roton change-mode reflection are also presented.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1995

Density functional calculations for 4He droplets

A novel density functional, which accounts correctly for the equation of state, the static response function and the phonon-roton dispersion in bulk liquid helium, is used to predict static and dynamic properties of helium droplets. The static density profile is found to exhibit significant oscillations, which are accompanied by deviations of the evaporation energy from a liquid drop behaviour in the case of small droplets. The connection between such oscillations and the structure of the static response function in the liquid is explicitly discussed. The energy and the wave function of excited states are then calculated in the framework of time dependent density functional theory. The new functional, which contains backflow-like effects, is expected to yield quantitatively correct predictions for the excitation spectrum also in the roton wave-length range.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1995

Bounds for the phonon-roton dispersion in superfluid 4He

The sum rule approach is used to derive upper bounds for the dispersion law $ω_0(q)$ of the elementary excitations of a Bose superfluid. Bounds are explicitly calculated for the phonon-roton dispersion in superfluid $^4$He, both at equilibrium ($ρ=0.02186$ Å$^{-3}$) and close to freezing ($ρ=0.02622$ Å$^{-3}$). The bound $ω_0(q) \le 2S(q)\midχ(q)\mid^{-1}$, where $S(q)$ and $χ(q)$ are the static structure factor and density response respectively, is calculated microscopically for several values of the wavevector $q$. The results provide a significant improvement with respect to the Feynman approximation $ω_F(q)= q^2(2mS(q))^{-1}$. A further, stronger bound, requiring the additional knowledge of the current correlation function is also investigated. New results for the current correlation function are presented.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1994

Structural and dynamical properties of superfluid helium: a density functional approach

We present a novel density functional for liquid 4He, properly accounting for the static response function and the phonon-roton dispersion in the uniform liquid. The functional is used to study both structural and dynamical properties of superfluid helium in various geometries. The equilibrium properties of the free surface, droplets and films at zero temperature are calculated. Our predictions agree closely to the results of ab initio Monte Carlo calculations, when available. The introduction of a phenomenological velocity dependent interaction, which accounts for backflow effects, is discussed. The spectrum of the elementary excitations of the free surface and films is studied.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1994

Dispersion of Ripplons in Superfluid 4he

A detailed study of the dispersion law of surface excitations in liquid \hef at zero temperature is presented, with special emphasis to the short wave length region. The hybridization mechanism between surface and bulk modes is discussed on a general basis, investigating the scattering of slow rotons from the surface. An accurate density functional, accounting for backflow effects, is then used to determine the dispersion of both bulk and surface excitations. The numerical results are close to the experimental data obtained on thick films and explicitly reveal the occurrence of important hybridization effects between ripplons and rotons.

cond-mat↗