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Davephaelon
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Is it possible for two atoms in a Bose-Einstein condensate to literally occupy the same space?
Where is the difference? What would you consider as "actually occupy the same place"?Davephaelon said:So it looks like the Bosonic atoms (for example Rubidium 87) themselves don't actually occupy the same place, just their wavefunctions overlap.
Usually, you assume a hard core repulsion, so even in a BEC, there are no two atoms in the same place.Davephaelon said:Is it possible for two atoms in a Bose-Einstein condensate to literally occupy the same space?
Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) is a state of matter that occurs at extremely low temperatures, close to absolute zero (-273.15°C). It is a collection of bosonic particles that have collapsed into the lowest energy state, resulting in a superfluid with unique quantum properties.
BEC is created by cooling a gas of bosonic particles, such as rubidium or sodium atoms, to near absolute zero. This is typically done using laser cooling techniques and evaporative cooling, where the hottest atoms are removed from the gas, leaving behind a colder and more dense cloud of particles.
BEC has a wide range of potential applications in fields such as quantum computing, precision measurements, and fundamental physics research. It can also be used to study phenomena such as superfluidity and quantum entanglement.
Yes, BEC can exist in nature. It has been observed in certain atomic gases, as well as in some liquid helium isotopes. It is also believed to potentially exist in neutron stars, where extremely high pressures and low temperatures may allow for the formation of BEC.
One of the main challenges in studying BEC is maintaining the extremely low temperatures required for its creation. This requires sophisticated cooling techniques and specialized equipment. Additionally, BEC can be unstable and difficult to isolate, making it challenging to study and manipulate its properties.