Inhomogeneous Spin Diffusion in Traps with Cold Atoms

Abstract

The spin diffusion and damped oscillations are studied in the collision of two spin polarized clouds of cold atoms with resonant interactions. The strong density dependence of the diffusion coefficient leads to inhomogeneous spin diffusion that changes from central to surface spin flow as the temperature increases. The inhomogeneity and the smaller finite trap size significantly reduce the spin diffusion rate at low temperatures. The resulting spin diffusion rates and spin drag at longer time scales are compatible with measurements at low to high temperatures for resonant attractive interactions but are incompatible with a metastable ferromagnetic phase. This does not exclude that the colliding clouds can evolve into a repulsive initial state which subsequently decays during the bounce and the initial damped oscillations.