Ultracold Neutral Plasmas and Rydberg Gases

本研究将探索超冷等离子体和里德伯气体的性质。等离子体是迄今为止宇宙中最常见的物质形式，但通常是相当热的，即使是在实验室中产生的。该项目的研究人员开发了一种技术，从激光冷却原子开始产生温度低至几k的超冷等离子体。这项工作将研究膨胀超冷等离子体的特性。研究人员将研究如何激发和探测等离子体的集体激发，如离子声波。他们将测量等离子体中电子的平衡时间，这是决定系统动力学的关键。他们将采用等离子体物理学的方法来限制等离子体，这将允许更长的研究时间，以及改变与膨胀过程相关的动力学。就更广泛的影响而言，对这些系统的更深入了解可能与等离子体中的原子过程、行星和恒星内部发生的天体物理过程以及惯性约束聚变有关。

This research will explore the properties of ultracold plasmas and Rydberg gases. Plasma is by far the most common form of matter in the universe, but is usually quite hot, even when created in the laboratory. The researchers of this project developed a technique that starts with laser-cooled atoms to produce ultracold plasmas, with temperatures as low as a few K. This work will study the properties of expanding ultracold plasmas. The researchers will investigate how to excite and probe collective excitations of the plasma, such as ion acoustic waves. They will measure the equilibration time for the electrons in the plasma, which is critical in determining the dynamics of the system. They will adapt methods from plasma physics to confine the plasma, which will allow longer periods of time for investigations, as well as change the dynamics related to the expansion process. On the broader impact, a greater understanding of these systems may have relevance for atomic processes in plasmas, astrophysical processes occurring in the interior of planets and stars, as well as for inertial confinement fusion.