GROUND-STATE PROPERTIES OF MAGNETICALLY TRAPPED BOSE-CONDENSED RUBIDIUM GAS

In light of the recent experimental observation of Bose-Einstein conde nsation in dilute Rb-87 gas cooled to nanokelvin-scale temperatures, w e give a quantitative account of the ground-state properties of magnet ically trapped Bose gases. Using simple scaling arguments, we show tha t at large particle number the kinetic energy is a small perturbation, and find a spatial structure of the cloud of atoms and its momentum d istribution dependent in an essential way on particle interactions. We also estimate the superfluid coherence length and the critical angula r velocity at which vortex lines become energetically favorable.