Polytropic equilibrium and normal modes in cold atomic traps
Abstract
The compressibility limit of a cold gas confined in a magneto-optical trap due to multiple scattering of light is a long-standing problem. This scattering mechanism induces long-range interactions in the system, which is responsible for the occurrence of plasma-like phenomena. In the present paper, we investigate the importance of the long-range character of the mediated atom-atom interaction in the equilibrium and dynamical features of a magneto-optical trap. Making use of a hydrodynamical formulation, we derive a generalized Lane-Emden equation modeling the polytropic equilibirum of a magneto-optical trap, allowing us to describe the cross-over between the two limiting cases: temperature dominated and multiple-scattering dominated traps. The normal collective modes of the system are also computed.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1305.4678,
title = {Polytropic equilibrium and normal modes in cold atomic traps},
author = {H. Terças and J. T. Mendonça},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1305.4678},
year = {2015}
}