title: Ionization rates in a bose-einstein condensate of metastable helium.
abstract: We have studied ionizing collisions in a BEC of metastable He. Measurements of the ion production rate combined with measurements of the density and number of atoms for the same sample allow us to estimate both the two- and three-body contributions to this rate. A comparison with the decay of the atom number indicates that ionizing collisions are largely or wholly responsible for the loss. Quantum depletion makes a substantial correction to the three-body rate constant.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Charles Fabry de l'Institut d'Optique, UMR 8501 du CNRS, F-91403 Orsay Cedex, France.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sirjean
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seidelin
authors.forename: J Viana
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boiron
authors.forename: C I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Westbrook
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aspect
authors.forename: G V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Shlyapnikov