What happened to the missing atoms in the Bose-Einstein Experiment?

Question

In 2000, scientists experimenting with a Bose-Einstein condensate of Rubidium-85 uncovered a hitherto unknown property of the condensates. As they shrunk the condensate by strengthening the the magnetic field surrounding it, the condensate suddenly reverted back to attraction, imploded and shrank beyond detection, and then exploded, blowing off about two-thirds of its 10,000 or so atoms. About half of the atoms in the condensate seemed to have disappeared from the experiment altogether, not being seen either in the cold remnant or the expanding gas cloud. Carl Wieman explained that under current atomic theory this characteristic of Bose–Einstein condensate could not be explained because the energy state of an atom near absolute zero should not be enough to cause an implosion. Here's the kicker:

Nobel laureate Dr. Eric A. Cornell, does not rule out the possibility of stable micro black hole creation after an unexpected bosenova implosion at the university of Colorado. According to other reports, close to half the atoms could not be accounted for, suggesting that if a micro black hole was the explanation for the missing atoms, then the micro black hole was a STABLE micro black hole AND the cold remnant was far large than could be explained. Dr. Cornell does not have a good explanation for what happened, and he thinks a stable micro black hole is a less likely explanation, but he does not reasonably rule this possibility out, that a stable micro black hole might have been created." I would hope its just a fusion reaction and not a black hole, but its why I'm asking the question. Does anyone really know what happened? Has the results been replicated?

These are the types of condensates being experimented with at both Brookhaven and soon at CERN (LHC) Shouldn't they go slow until more firm answers are found?

http://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200406/history.cfm

Answer 1

It is my opinion that the missing atoms in the BEC experiment did not disapear, or fall into a black hole, or a mini black hole. Although it is possible the missing atoms have been transported, as a result of a result of such low temperatures. BEC's and Matter Waves are so simular it could be possible that the lasers used to cool the matter's nuceli to such low velocities that the atoms have been transported to another point in time/space. Thus this is entirely theoredical.