Theoretical Investigation of Ultracold Three-Body Collisions

Kansas State University, Manhattan KS

Investigators

Abstract

This proposal addresses theoretical and computational questions involving three particles in the continuum interacting with short-range potentials. The major issue is to understand the three-body recombination rate of atoms at ultra-low energies. The rate for these reactions are needed to model the physics of cold-trapped gases such as occur in the formation of Bose condensates. The issue of the mechanism for molecule formation is a long standing and unsolved problem in cold, trapped alkali gases.