The rubidium experiment used laser cooling, a magneto-optical trap and magnetic trapping of neutral atoms with a rotating bias field. Radio frequency transitions removed energetic atoms; elastic collisions restored thermal equilibrium. Before absorption imaging, the trap was decompressed, then nearly released with a gradient supporting against gravity. Varying the final evaporation cut revealed a narrow anisotropic core within an isotropic thermal cloud. The broad component supplied a simultaneous comparison through the same optics. Resolution and size calibration limited inference; interactions broadened the core relative to an ideal gas.[ref]
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