STATE-CHANGING COLLISIONS OF RUBIDIUM (N)S RYDBERG ATOMS WITH HYDROGEN-FLUORIDE (L-MIXING, IONIZATION, N-CHANGING)

[摘要] State-changing in collisions of Rb(nS) - HF are studied using a crossed atomic beam/modulated CW laser technique and selective field ionization for values of principal quantum number n where 40 (LESSTHEQ) n (LESSTHEQ) 49. Collisions between a rotating polar molecule and a Rydberg atom often result in a near-resonant interchange of the rotational energy of the molecule, and a corresponding change in the electronic energy of the atom. A critical parameter is the energy imbalance of the reaction, defined as the difference between the atom;;s initial and final electronic energy and the molecule;;s initial and final rotational energy. The molecule used in this experiment, hydrogen fluoride, has a large rotational constant which permits study of n-changing rate constants for transitions from an initially populated s-state to a single n-manifold of high-L states. Because only one final manifold is populated, the reaction involves a single energy imbalance, and thus proves a useful test of theoretical models. n-Changing rate constants for collisions with energy imbalances ranging from 0.057 cm(;;-1) to 3.447 cm(;;-1), and ionization and L-mixing rate constants are compared to those predicted by an impulse approximation model and a semiclassical approach.

[发布机构] Rice University