Fundamental Studies of Molecular Collisions and Chemical Reactions at Ultracold Temperatures

University Of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas NV

Investigators

Abstract

The experimental realization of molecular Bose-Einstein condensation in the last two years has intensified research on ultracold molecules and collisional properties of ultracold molecules have become a topic of considerable experimental and theoretical interest. The objective of this pro- posal is to explore three key issues that are central to current research in ultracold molecules: (i) development of a computational algorithm for the description of collisional properties of ultracold molecules with special emphasis on ultracold molecule-molecule collisions; (ii) exploration of factors influencing chemical reactivity at ultralow temperatures, in particular, how long-range interaction influences chemical reactivity at cold and ultracold temperatures; (iii) exploration of coherent control of chemical reactivity in bimolecular scattering involving ultracold polar molecules. All three proposed topics will be addressed using explicit quantum mechanical calculations.