Hydrodynamic clouds and Bose-Einstein condensation

We discuss the characterization of dense elongated clouds of 87 Rb in the context of the process of Bose-Einstein condensation under hydrodynamic conditions. The condensation is induced by shock- cooling of thermal clouds. This gives rise to strong temperature gradients and results in a non-equilibrium shape of the (quasi)condensate with strong phase fluctuations just after formation.