Cold Atomic and Molecular Ion-Atom Collisions in a Hybrid Trap

University Of Connecticut, Storrs CT

Investigators

Abstract

This project focuses on the investigation of cold atomic and molecular ion-atom collision processes in a hybrid neutral atom-ion trap. Recently developed techniques of laser cooling, trapping, and manipulation of cold neutral atoms will be used to make a refrigerator for the sympathetic cooling of an overlapping sample of atomic or molecular ions to very low temperatures. Various aspects of the collision process will be examined, such as resonant and near-resonant electron transfer, the elastic Langevin cross section, and potential quantum effects on the scattering.