Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences - PIMS

The peculiar quantum-mechanical properties of the ground states of Bose
gases that were predicted in the early days of quantum-mechanics have
been verified experimentally relatively recently. The mathematical
derivation of these properties from Schroedinger's equation has also
been difficult, but progress has been made in the last few years
(with R. Seiringer, J-P. Solovej and J. Yngvason) and this will be
reviewed. For the low density gas with finite range interactions these
properties include the leading order term in the ground state energy,
the validity of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation in traps (including
rapidly rotating traps), Bose-Einstein condensation and superfluidity,
and the transition from 3-dimensional behavior to 1-dimensional
behavior as the cross-section of the trap decreases. The latter is a
highly quantum-mechanical phenomenon.

10th Anniversary Speaker Series 2007