We present a method to calculate the dynamics of very-low-temperature Bose-Einstein condensates in time-dependent traps. We consider a system with a well-defined number of particles, rather than a system in a coherent state with a well-defined phase. This preserves the $U\left(1\right)\mathrm{}$ symmetry of the problem. We use a systematic asymptotic expansion in the square root of the fraction of noncondensed particles. In lowest order we recover the time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation for the condensate wave function. The next order gives the linear dynamics of noncondensed particles. The higher order gives corrections to the time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation including the effects of noncondensed particles on the condensate. We compare this method with the Bogoliubov–de Gennes approach.

• Received 25 February 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.57.3008