The thermodynamic stability of a trapped Bose gas with a two-component condensate, e.g., a gas of atoms in two distinct hyperfine states or a binary gaseous mixture, is considered on the basis of modified Gross-Pitaevskii equations. Under certain conditions the system becomes unstable with respect to stratification, i.e., to spatial separation between the two condensates. One condensate assumes a donutlike spatial distribution, while the other retains a centered distribution. Possible applications of the theory to recent experimental data on two overlapping condensates in 87 Rb are discussed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.