Using ion production to monitor the birth and death of a metastable   helium Bose-Einstein condensate
  We discuss observations of the ion flux from a cloud of trapped metastable helium atoms. Both Bose-Einstein condensates and thermal clouds were investigated. The ion flux is compared to time-of-flight observations of the expanded cloud. We show data concerning BEC formation and decay, as well as measurements of two- and three-body ionization rate constants. We also discuss possible improvements and extensions of our results. 
S. Seidelin, O. Sirjean, J. Viana Gomes, D. Boiron, C. I. Westbrook   and A. Aspect