Adu Smith, DGring, MLangen, TKuhnert, MRauer, BGeiger, RKitagawa, TakuyaMazets, IDemler, EugeneSchmiedmayer, J2014-11-242013Adu Smith, D, M Gring, T Langen, M Kuhnert, B Rauer, R Geiger, T Kitagawa, I Mazets, E Demler, and J Schmiedmayer. 2013. Prethermalization Revealed by the Relaxation Dynamics of Full Distribution Functions. New Journal of Physics 15, no. 7: 075011.1367-2630http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:13421149We detail the experimental observation of the non-equilibrium many-body phenomenon prethermalization. We study the dynamics of a rapidly and coherently split one-dimensional Bose gas. An analysis based on the use of full quantum mechanical probability distributions of matter wave interference contrast reveals that the system evolves toward a quasi-steady state. This state, which can be characterized by an effective temperature, is not the final thermal equilibrium state. We compare the evolution of the system to an integrable Tomonaga–Luttinger liquid model, and show that the system dephases to a prethermalized state rather than undergoing thermalization toward a final thermal equilibrium state.en-USQuantum gases, liquids and solidsComputational physicsStatistical physics and nonlinear systemsJournal Article2014-11-2410.1088/1367-2630/15/7/075011