Mainz 2017 – scientific programme

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MO: Fachverband Molekülphysik

MO 2: Precision Experiments on Small Molecules

MO 2.5: Talk

Monday, March 6, 2017, 15:30–15:45, N 25

Towards Reactive Scattering between Metastable Helium and Magneto-Optically Trapped Lithium — •Jonas Grzesiak, Katrin Dulitz, Andriy Achkasov, Frank Stienkemeier, and Marcel Mudrich — Physikalisches Institut, Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 3, 79104 Freiburg i. Br.

The experimental study of Penning ionization reactions, i.e., the reactive scattering of metastable rare gas atoms with neutral species, has recently attracted a lot of attention through the observation of orbiting resonances at low collision energies [1]. We present first results leading to a detailed study of reactive scattering between supersonically expanded metastable helium atoms and ultracold lithium atoms confined in a magneto-optical trap. We also show that our cryogenically cooled source provides intense, velocity-tunable and cold supersonic beams of metastable helium atoms, and we discuss the efficiency of metastable atom production using two conceptually different, homemade discharge units.

[1] A. B. Henson, S. Gersten, Y. Shagam, J. Narevicius, E. Narevicius, Science 338, 234 (2012).