[Historical report created from GSU BEC Homepage:]

"Reports received in September that BEC has been observed in Europe are confirmed on a Web page(obsolete) at the University of Konstanz. The group of Gerhard Rempe presents images of a BEC of ⁸⁷Rb atoms at temperatures above and below T_C, showing the distinctive isotropic to anisotropic transition of the atomic velocity distribution. The Konstanz group first announced their results on 17. September, in Castelvecchio Pascoli, Italy. They have provided us with the following information on their experimental parameters:

• Atomic species: ⁸⁷Rb, F = 2, M_F = +2
• Transition temperature: T_C = 500 nK
• Number of atoms present at Tc: N = 10⁶
• Number of atoms in the condensate: N₀ > 10⁵
• Magnetic trap: DC 2-dimensional quadrupole + 1-dimensional pinch
• Magnetic trap frequencies: > 240 Hz + 24 Hz
• Apparatus: double MOT system with glass cell
• Atom source: vapor
• Laser: low-power diode lasers
• Loading time: 1 min
• RF-induced evaporative cooling: 20 sec"