Simulations of Bose fields at finite temperature

Abstract

We introduce a time-dependent projected Gross-Pitaevskii equation to describe a partially condensed homogeneous Bose gas, and find that this equation will evolve randomised initial wave functions to equilibrium. We compare our numerical data to the predictions of a gapless, second order theory of Bose-Einstein condensation [S. A. Morgan, J. Phys. B {\bf 33}, 3847 (2000)], and find that we can determine a temperature when the theory is valid. As the Gross-Pitaevskii equation is non-perturbative, we expect that it can describe the correct thermal behaviour of a Bose gas as long as all relevant modes are highly occupied. Our method could be applied to other boson fields.