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Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular Physics

Fast collisions of high-Rydberg atoms (ions ) with neutral species

Michio Matsuzawa

Published Aug 28, 1980• 12 citations
Publisher

Abstract

It is shown that the title processes are adequately described by the impulse approximation combined with the model in which an excited Rydberg electron behaves as if it were 'free' and slow with its interaction with the neutral species playing a decisive role. Some simple scaling laws are given for collisions of the high-Rydberg ions. The results obtained explain various aspects of recent experimental findings on the fast D (high n)-N 2 collisions.

DOI
10.1088/0022-3700/13/16/017

Related papers

Thermal collisions between high-Rydberg atoms and rare-gas atoms

Michio Matsuzawa

The title processes are theoretically investigated based on the model in which an excited Rydberg electron behaves as if it were 'free' and slow, with its interaction with the rare-gas atom playing a decisive role. The cross sections of l-changing collisions of the Rydberg atoms with the rare-gas atoms are evaluated for small angular momentum changes. They are compared with experimental data available at present, under the assumption that there is no selection rule for the distribution over the final angular momentum states of the Rydberg atom, and are found to be consistent with experimental findings. The relation between this approach and some others is examined. The possibility of learning about low-energy electron-rare-gas collisions from refined experimental data on the title processes is briefly discussed.

Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular Physics•Nov 28, 1979•66 citations

Collisions of Rydberg atoms with neutral targets

F. B. Dunning, Sitti Buathong

Atoms in highly excited Rydberg states possess physical characteristics quite unlike those associated with atoms in the ground or low-lying excited states. In particular, they are physically very large and are only very weakly bound. In consequence, collisions can lead to a wide variety of reaction processes many of which are unique to Rydberg species and have very large collision cross sections. In collisions with neutral targets, Rydberg atoms behave not as an atom but rather as a pair of well-separated independent scatterers, namely the core ion and the excited Rydberg electron. In the present article we discuss many of the different reactions that can occur when Rydberg atoms collide with neutral targets, focusing principally on reactions that are dominated by (binary) Rydberg electron-target interactions and include collisions with molecules that attach free low-energy electrons and with polar targets. In certain situations, however, interactions involving the Rydberg core ion are important. This is illustrated using as an example the destruction of ultralong-range Rydberg molecules excited in a cold dense gas.

International Reviews in Physical Chemistry•Apr 3, 2018•5 citations

l -changing collision of a high-Rydberg atom with a polar molecule

Michio Matsuzawa

Cross sections of the title process are theoretically evaluated to be of order of ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}14}$ - ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$, using the model in which an excited Rydberg electron behaves as if it were "free" and slow, with interaction between the excited electron and a polar molecule playing a decisive role. The $n$ dependence of the cross section shows a sharp peak as the energy defect becomes small.

Physical Review A•Oct 1, 1978•19 citations

Thermal collisions of high-Rydberg atoms with neutral particles. II. Higher-order corrections to the impulse approximation

Yukap Hahn

For pt.I see ibid., vol.14, p.985 (1981). A general theory of the Rydberg atom inelastic scattering by perturber atoms has been developed previously, in which the leading term is the simple impulse amplitude, followed by the various correction terms. Theoretical estimates of these correction terms are presented in this paper, resulting in a general scaling formula. The non-impulse correction to the impulse approximation varies as n -2 at large principal quantum number n and depends on the signature of the electron-perturber scattering length. The distortion correction due to the interaction between the perturber and the Rydberg atomic core is large for the intermediate values of n<or approximately=20 behaves as n -4 , and depends on the perturber-core total cross section. The scaling formula derived here has been tested for the scattering systems consisting of Na and Rb targets and inert gas perturbers.

Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular Physics•Feb 28, 1982•17 citations

Comment on 'Thermal collisions of Rydberg atoms with neutrals'

Michio Matsuzawa

It is shown that the author's previously proposed model based on the interaction between a Rydberg electron and a neutral describes thermal quasi-elastic collisions of high-Rydberg atoms with the neutrals reasonably. A recently proposed mechanism based on the interaction between an atomic-ion core and the neutral has been found not to give any appreciable contribution to the collision processes mentioned above.

Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular Physics•Sep 14, 1981•15 citations

Theoretical model for the collision of high Rydberg atoms with neutral atoms or molecules

E. de Prunelé, J. Pascale

A theoretical model for the collision of atoms in high Rydberg states (nl) with neutral atoms or molecules is proposed, based on the assumption that the electron-perturber interaction is of very short range compared with the mean radius of the Rydberg atom. A semiclassical method is used to derive a compact expression for the collision probability. The calculations need total cross sections for the scattering of a free and low-energy electron by the perturber. The model is applied to the calculation of a free and low-energy electron by the perturber. The model is applied to the calculation of cross sections for the quenching of n 2 D or n 2 F Rydberg states of Na and Rb by rare-gas atoms of N 2 . On the whole the calculated cross sections are in reasonable agreement with experimental data for n>10 approximately. The model and the results of the calculations are discussed and compared with other theoretical works.

Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular Physics•Aug 14, 1979•77 citations
It is shown that the title processes are adequately described by the impulse approximation combined with the model in which an excited Rydberg electron behaves as if it were 'free' and slow with its interaction with the neutral species playing a decisive role. Some simple scaling laws are given for collisions of the high-Rydberg ions. The results obtained explain various aspects of recent experimental findings on the fast D (high n)-N 2 collisions.
The title processes are theoretically investigated based on the model in which an excited Rydberg electron behaves as if it were 'free' and slow, with its interaction with the rare-gas atom playing a decisive role. The cross sections of l-changing collisions of the Rydberg atoms with the rare-gas atoms are evaluated for small angular momentum changes. They are compared with experimental data available at present, under the assumption that there is no selection rule for the distribution over the final angular momentum states of the Rydberg atom, and are found to be consistent with experimental findings. The relation between this approach and some others is examined. The possibility of learning about low-energy electron-rare-gas collisions from refined experimental data on the title processes is briefly discussed.
Atoms in highly excited Rydberg states possess physical characteristics quite unlike those associated with atoms in the ground or low-lying excited states. In particular, they are physically very large and are only very weakly bound. In consequence, collisions can lead to a wide variety of reaction processes many of which are unique to Rydberg species and have very large collision cross sections. In collisions with neutral targets, Rydberg atoms behave not as an atom but rather as a pair of well-separated independent scatterers, namely the core ion and the excited Rydberg electron. In the present article we discuss many of the different reactions that can occur when Rydberg atoms collide with neutral targets, focusing principally on reactions that are dominated by (binary) Rydberg electron-target interactions and include collisions with molecules that attach free low-energy electrons and with polar targets. In certain situations, however, interactions involving the Rydberg core ion are important. This is illustrated using as an example the destruction of ultralong-range Rydberg molecules excited in a cold dense gas.
Cross sections of the title process are theoretically evaluated to be of order of ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}14}$ - ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}$ cm2{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}cm2, using the model in which an excited Rydberg electron behaves as if it were "free" and slow, with interaction between the excited electron and a polar molecule playing a decisive role. The nnn dependence of the cross section shows a sharp peak as the energy defect becomes small.
For pt.I see ibid., vol.14, p.985 (1981). A general theory of the Rydberg atom inelastic scattering by perturber atoms has been developed previously, in which the leading term is the simple impulse amplitude, followed by the various correction terms. Theoretical estimates of these correction terms are presented in this paper, resulting in a general scaling formula. The non-impulse correction to the impulse approximation varies as n -2 at large principal quantum number n and depends on the signature of the electron-perturber scattering length. The distortion correction due to the interaction between the perturber and the Rydberg atomic core is large for the intermediate values of n<or approximately=20 behaves as n -4 , and depends on the perturber-core total cross section. The scaling formula derived here has been tested for the scattering systems consisting of Na and Rb targets and inert gas perturbers.
A theoretical model for the collision of atoms in high Rydberg states (nl) with neutral atoms or molecules is proposed, based on the assumption that the electron-perturber interaction is of very short range compared with the mean radius of the Rydberg atom. A semiclassical method is used to derive a compact expression for the collision probability. The calculations need total cross sections for the scattering of a free and low-energy electron by the perturber. The model is applied to the calculation of a free and low-energy electron by the perturber. The model is applied to the calculation of cross sections for the quenching of n 2 D or n 2 F Rydberg states of Na and Rb by rare-gas atoms of N 2 . On the whole the calculated cross sections are in reasonable agreement with experimental data for n>10 approximately. The model and the results of the calculations are discussed and compared with other theoretical works.