Quantum Kinetic Theory for a Bose-Einstein Condensed Alkali Gas.

The most salient features of the Bose-Einstein condensation of a magnetically confined alkali vapor is the diluteness of the gas and the extremely weak effective interactions. From a theoretical point of view, the interesting aspect is the potential formulation of the many-body quantum theory for a non-uniform and potentially non-equilibrium system founded entirely on microscopic physics. The crucial postulate is the rapid attenuation of many particle quantum correlations in the dilute system which can be motivated from universal considerations. In principle, it will be possible to provide direct comparison between theory and experiment over all temperature scales with no phenomenological parameters—a challenge facing the theoretical community in the near future. The dilute gas experiments provide an exciting stage on which to build bridges linking the theory of complex and collective phenomena in superconducting and superfluid systems, with the single particle microscopic physics described in quantum optics and laser physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]