Collisions between cold ground-state Na atoms

We study hyperfine transitions in collisions between cold ground-state {sup 23}Na atoms, which are of crucial importance for the decay of the atomic density in magnetic traps. For comparable densities we find the initial decay by exchange collisions to be roughly a factor of 10 more rapid than that...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review. A, Atomic, molecular, and optical physics Atomic, molecular, and optical physics, 1991-05, Vol.43 (9), p.5188-5190
Main Authors: TIESINGA, E, KUPPENS, S. J. M, VERHAAR, B. J, STOOF, H. T. C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
640304 - Atomic, Molecular & Chemical Physics- Collision Phenomena
ALKALI METALS
ATOM COLLISIONS
ATOM-ATOM COLLISIONS
Atomic and molecular collision processes and interactions
ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOMIC CLOCKS
COLLISIONS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LEVELS
Exact sciences and technology
EXCHANGE INTERACTIONS
GROUND STATES
HYDROGEN
HYPERFINE STRUCTURE
INTERACTIONS
METALS
NONMETALS
Physics
Scattering of atoms, molecules and ions
SODIUM
SPIN EXCHANGE
TRAPPING
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Summary:We study hyperfine transitions in collisions between cold ground-state {sup 23}Na atoms, which are of crucial importance for the decay of the atomic density in magnetic traps. For comparable densities we find the initial decay by exchange collisions to be roughly a factor of 10 more rapid than that in atomic hydrogen. The doubly polarized atomic gas that thus forms spontaneously in this initial process subsequently decays by dipolar relaxation with a rate that is about a factor of 5 larger than that in atomic hydrogen. The sensitivity of the calculated rate constants associated with uncertainties in the singlet and triplet potentials is discussed.
ISSN:1050-2947
1094-1622
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevA.43.5188