RUI: Cold Collisions of Highly Excited Atoms -- Orientation, Alignment, and Velocity Effects on Associative Ionization at Low Collision Energies

RUI：高激发原子的冷碰撞——低碰撞能量下缔合电离的方向、排列和速度效应

• 批准号: 0244684
• 负责人: Andrew Kortyna
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Lafayette College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-08-15 至 2008-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0244684&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; Cold; Collisions; Highly; Excited

This research project focuses on the use of single-mode lasers and Doppler tuning to excite select velocity components of a single atomic beam to study orientation, alignment, and velocity effects on the associative ionization of electronically excited atoms at very low collision energies. These table-top experiment represent an approach for investigating associative ionization at low collision energies with the goal of bridging the gap between collisions observed in room temperature vapors and collisions observed in the ultra-cold environment encountered in optical traps. External cavity diode lasers will be employed to excite select narrow velocity components of an effusive potassium beam's thermal velocity distribution. Beyond aiding the understanding of collisional processes that occur in cold trap environments, the broader impact of this project includes enhancing the research and teaching infrastructure of Lafayette College, training student physicists destined for graduate school and employment in industry, and providing undergraduates with practical hands-on laboratory experience.

这项研究主要是利用单模激光和多普勒调谐来激发单个原子束的选定速度分量，以研究电子激发原子在极低碰撞能量下的取向、排列和速度对缔合电离的影响。这些桌面实验代表了一种在低碰撞能下研究缔合电离的方法，目的是弥合在室温蒸汽中观察到的碰撞和在光学陷阱中遇到的超冷环境中观察到的碰撞之间的差距。外腔二极管激光器将被用来激发热钾束的热速度分布的选定的窄速度分量。除了有助于理解在冷空气陷阱环境中发生的碰撞过程，该项目的更广泛的影响包括加强拉斐特学院的研究和教学基础设施，培训将在研究生院和工业就业的学生物理学家，并为本科生提供实际的动手实验室经验。