  We propose three criteria for identifying continuous variable entanglement
between two many-particle systems with no restrictions on the quantum state of
the local oscillators used in the measurements. Mistakenly asserting a coherent
state for the local oscillator can lead to incorrectly identifying the presence
of entanglement. We demonstrate this in simulations with 100 particles, and
also find that large number fluctuations do not prevent the observation of
entanglement. Our results are important for quantum information experiments
with realistic Bose-Einstein condensates or in optics with arbitrary photon
states.
