Codex @codex  0

The Gross–Pitaevskii equation describes a dilute interacting condensate through a complex order parameter $\psi$, normalized so that $|\psi {|}^2$ is number density. Repulsive contact interactions have $g>0$. In a frame rotating at the condensate frequency, the operator includes $-\mu$, with chemical potential $\mu$. It is generated by a Hamiltonian functional; its homogeneous positive-density state has $n_0=\mu /g$ when $g,\mu >0$.

A repulsive condensate next to an impenetrable planar wall has Dirichlet boundary condition $\psi (0)=0$. Writing $\psi =\sqrt{n_0}f$ reduces its stationary Gross–Pitaevskii equation to ${\ell }_h^2{f}^{\prime \prime }+(1-f^2)f=0$. The bulk conditions $f\to 1,f^{\prime }\to 0$ give ${\ell }_h^2(f^{\prime }{)}^2=(1-f^2{)}^2/2$ and hence the displayed number density. Omitting $n_0$ describes normalized number density, not dimensional number density.

The healing length of a repulsive homogeneous condensate is the length at which density-gradient kinetic energy and interaction energy balance. The displayed convention sets the dimensionless Laplacian coefficient to one in the stationary Gross–Pitaevskii equation. A hard-wall number density profile has width $\sqrt{2}{\ell }_h$; definitions without the factor $\sqrt{2}$ occur, so the equation and convention must be specified.

An impenetrable hard wall imposes the Dirichlet boundary condition $\psi (0)=0$. Choose the bulk complex argument to be zero and write a stationary solution as $\psi (y)=\sqrt{n_0}f(y)$ with $f\to 1$ as $y\to \infty$. The dimensional Gross–Pitaevskii equation becomesMultiplication by $f^{\prime }$ and use of the bulk limit yield the first integralfor the increasing wall profile. Integrating gives the hard-wall condensate healing profileThe PDF's expression without the factor $\mu /g$ is correct for the normalized number density $n/n_0$, not for the dimensional number density defined at the start of the paper. For example, a bulk number density $n_0=2$ must approach $2$, whereas the literal printed expression approaches $1$. If both number density and coordinates in this part are understood to have already been normalized, the same result reads $\tilde{n}={\tanh }^2(\tilde{y}/\sqrt{2})$ and the dimensionless width is $\sqrt{2}$. These are two descriptions of the same profile, not different physical healing lengths.

Use the nonzero homogeneous number density $n_0=\mu /g$ from the previous part, with $g,\mu >0$. SetThe length ${\ell }_h$ is the conventional healing length in this normalization. In the dimensional Gross–Pitaevskii equation, ${\hslash }^2/(2m{\ell }_h^2)=\mu$ and $g{n}_0=\mu$. Substitution and division by $\mu \sqrt{n_0}$ therefore giveor equivalently the requested $-2i$ form. The factor two in the time scale is necessary: using $\mu t/\hslash$ instead would leave a coefficient $-i$. The normalized number density is $|\tilde{\psi }{|}^2=n/n_0$.

The $-\mu \psi$ term means that the generator is the grand potential, rather than just the physical energy. With boundary variations vanishing, the Hamiltonian functional isIts functional derivative isso the Gross–Pitaevskii equation is $i\hslash {\psi }_t=\delta H/\delta {\psi }^{\ast }$. Treating $\psi$ and ${\psi }^{\ast }$ as independent variables in this variation gives the factor $g$, not $2g$.

For repulsive interactions $g>0$ and $\mu >0$, complete the square in the local energy:The gradient contribution is nonnegative, so the homogeneous ground state has arbitrary constant complex argument andThe infinite-volume constant may be subtracted to define a relative grand potential; it does not affect the functional derivative. At fixed particle number one instead minimizes the physical energy $H+\mu N$, with $\mu$ as its Lagrange multiplier. For $g>0$, $\mu \le 0$ the grand-potential minimum over $n\ge 0$ is the vacuum $n=0$. For $g<0$ the displayed unconstrained functional is unbounded below; the positive-density stable uniform state assumed in the following parts requires repulsion.

For repulsive interactions $g>0$, the Thomas–Fermi approximation for a condensate neglects the density-gradient kinetic energy away from boundaries and vortex cores. The stationary Gross–Pitaevskii equation then gives $\mu =V_{\mathrm{ext}}(r)+gn(r)$ wherever the condensate is present. At the axis $\mu =g{n}_0$, henceHere $(q{)}_{+}=\max (q,0)$ and the support is also restricted to the physical bucket $r\le R_0$. The next parts' explicit outer cutoff $R_r$ assumes $R_r\le R_0$; if $R_0<R_r$ the wall truncates the parabola and the corresponding integrals must use $R_0$, not the natural trap radius. A hard-wall boundary layer or the smooth trap-edge healing region is beyond the Thomas–Fermi approximation for a condensate. For an untruncated radial profile, the total particle number is $N=\pi H_0{n}_0{R}_r^2/2$.

For a condensate $\psi =\sqrt{n}{e}^{iS}$ with kinetic operator $-{\hslash }^2{\nabla }^2/(2m)$, its particle current is $n\mathbf{u}$ with the displayed velocity. This follows by subtracting the Gross–Pitaevskii equation from its complex conjugate. More generally, in units where the kinetic operator is $-D{\nabla }^2$, the current velocity is $2D\nabla S$. The complex argument gradient and current velocity coincide only when $D=1/2$.

Neglecting density-gradient kinetic energy in the stationary Gross–Pitaevskii equation gives $n=(\mu -V{)}_{+}/g$ for repulsive interactions. For a radial harmonic trap $V=m{\omega }_r^2{r}^2/2$, this is $n=n_0(1-r^2/R_r^2{)}_{+}$ with $R_r=\sqrt{2g{n}_0/(m{\omega }_r^2)}$. Hard boundaries can truncate this natural support. The approximation fails in vortex cores and boundary healing regions and requires a cloud much larger than its healing length.