harmonic trap is studied. It is shown that density fringes caused by self-interference of the
condensate order parameter seed modulational instability. The latter has novel features in
contradistinction to the usual homogeneous case known from nonlinear fiber optics. Several
open questions in the interpretation of the recent creation of the first matter-wave bright
soliton train [KE Strecker, Nature (London) 417, 150 (2002). NATUAS 0028-0836] are …