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

该研究项目的重点是使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，以研究在非常低的碰撞能量下电子激发原子的缔合电离的取向、对准和速度效应。这些桌面实验代表了一种方法，用于调查关联电离在低碰撞能量的目标之间的差距桥接观察到的碰撞在室温蒸气和碰撞中观察到的超冷环境中遇到的光阱中的差距。外腔半导体激光器将被用来激发选择窄的速度成分的溢出钾束的热速度分布。除了帮助理解冷阱环境中发生的碰撞过程外，该项目的更广泛影响还包括加强拉斐特学院的研究和教学基础设施，培训研究生院和工业就业的学生物理学家，并为本科生提供实践动手实验室经验。

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.