Variational approach for Bose-Einstein condensates in strongly disordered traps

Recently, Nattermann and Pokrovsky [PRL 100, 060402 (2008)] have proposed a scaling approach for studying Bose-Einstein condensates in strongly disordered traps. In this paper we implement their scaling argument in the framework of the variational method for solving the time dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation. We consider atomic gases with both short range s-wave interaction and long range anisotropic dipolar interaction. The theory is addressed to the regime of strong disorder and weak interactions where the physics is dominated by the collective pinning due to the disorder. The phenomenon of condensate fragmentation in dipolar gases is also analyzed.