  Statistical mechanics is one of the most comprehensive theories in physics.
From a boiling pot of water to the complex dynamics of quantum many-body
systems it provides a successful connection between the microscopic dynamics of
atoms and molecules and the macroscopic properties of matter. However,
statistical mechanics only describes the thermal equilibrium situation of a
system, and there is no general framework to describe how equilibrium is
reached or under which circumstances it can be reached at all. This problem is
particularly challenging in quantum mechanics, where unitarity appears to
render the very concept of thermalization counterintuitive. With the rapid
experimental progress in the control and probing of ultracold quantum gases
this question has become within reach of detailed experimental investigations.
In these notes we present a series of experiments with ultracold
one-dimensional Bose gases, which provide novel insights into this fundamental
question.
