Decohering quantum statistics: Suppression of BEC

N. Kumar

Published 2004-07-31Version 1

It is argued that the environment induced decoherence between spatially separated parts of the wavefunction for an open quantum system also classicalizes the quantum statistics which is based on indistinguishability. This may imply a suppression of the BEC upon dilution with, e.g., isotopic fermions, in that the usual phase-space density criterion $n\Lambda^3 >$ 2.612 is supplemented by the condition $n\Lambda^3 > \hbar\gamma/\sqrt{4\pi}k_BT$, $\gamma$ being the friction coefficient subtended by the environment, i.e., the fermions in this case. PACS 03.75.Gg, 03.75.Hh, 03.75.Kk