The quantum close-coupling studies of the 3P2<-1P1 spin changing transitions in Ba (6s6p) colliding with Ne involving changes of magnetic quantum numbers are presented. The differential and multi-structure cross-section are calculated in a range of relative translational energies from threshold to 0.4 eV. The results of calculations exhibit the Stuckelberg oscillations and strong backward scattering effects.
The quantum close-coupling studies of the 3P2<-1P1 spin changing transitions in Ba (6s6p) colliding with Ne involving changes of magnetic quantum numbers are presented. The differential and multi-structure cross-section are calculated in a range of relative translational energies from threshold to 0.4 eV. The results of calculations exhibit the Stuckelberg oscillations and strong backward scattering effects.
Results of the quantum close-coupling calculations for the spin-changing transition in Ba(6s6p, 1 P 1 → 3 P 2 ) induced by collisions with argon are presented. The dependence on angular and collision energy of the calculated multi-structure differential cross-sections are discussed. The backward scattering is most prominent in a small energy range, particularly in the case of Π preparation of the initial Ba( 1 P 1 )-Ar molecular state. The similar characteristic features of differential cross-sections are observed in the experiment by Visticot et al (Visticot J P et al 1992 Phys. Rev. A 45 6371).
The results of a joint experimental and theoretical study concerning elastic electron scattering by laser-excited 138 Ba( ... 6s6p 1 P 1 ) atoms are described. These studies demonstrate several important aspects of elastic electron collisions with coherently excited atoms, and are the first such studies. From the measurements, collision and coherence parameters, as well as cross sections associated with an atomic ensemble prepared with an arbitrary in-plane laser geometry and linear polarization (with respect to the collision frame), or equivalently with any magnetic sublevel superposition, have been obtained at 20 eV impact energy and at 10°, 15° and 20° scattering angles. The convergent close-coupling (CCC) method was used within the non-relativistic LS -coupling framework to calculate the magnetic sublevel scattering amplitudes. From these amplitudes all the parameters and cross sections at 20 eV impact energy were extracted in the full angular range in 1° steps. The experimental and theoretical results were found to be in good agreement, indicating that the CCC method can be reliably applied to elastic scattering by 138 Ba( ... 6s6p 1 P 1 ) atoms, and possibly to other heavy elements when spin-orbit coupling effects are negligible. Small but significant asymmetry was observed in the cross sections for scattering to the left and to the right. It was also found that elastic electron scattering by the initially isotropic atomic ensemble resulted in the creation of significant alignment. As a byproduct of the present studies, elastic scattering cross sections for metastable 138 Ba atoms were also obtained.
The spin-changing (6s)1(6p)1, 1P1→(6s)1(6p)1, 3P2 transition of barium induced by single collisions with H2 has been studied using a crossed beam apparatus. An mj-selective preparation and detection of barium was achieved using the pump and probe technique in the presence of a magnetic field that breaks the degeneracy of the barium magnetic sublevels. The probe laser was scanned across the (6s)1(6p)1, 3P2,mj′→(6s)1(7s)1, 3S1, mj″ multiplicity. Analysis of the Doppler profiles of each line reveals the angular distribution of scattered barium atoms, the polarization of which is selected both before and after the collision. This is therefore a four-vector correlation experiment, and it is the first to document spin-changing transitions of alkaline-earth-metal atoms induced by a molecular target. It must be emphasized that all four vectors in the present experiment do not refer to the same quantization axis, whereas in the standard notion of n-vector correlation experiments, the n-vectors refer to the same axis. The results of the present work are discussed in the light shed by other results obtained on the same experiments with only two and three vectors controlled. A collision mechanism is proposed that accounts for all the existing experimental results on this process.
‘‘Multistructure’’ cross sections, of both conventional and coherence types, are calculated for the fine structure transition Na(2P1/2←2P3/2)+He in an energy range of 10–200 meV. The cross sections are related to conditions of a crossed beams experiment in which the three controlled vectors are the initial relative velocity and the two polarization directions of excitation and probe laser beams. Both semiclassical and quantum mechanical calculations are performed. The semiclassical method is employed to interpret and visualize the collision mechanism leading to the multistructure cross sections. In addition, the validity of the approximations used in the semiclassical model is investigated. For the conventional cross sections, the semiclassical and quantum-mechanical results are in good agreement. We find that both initial sodium states 3 2P3/2,3/2 and 3 2P3/2,1/2 preferentially populate the 3 2P1/2,−1/2 final state, i.e., a final state in which the sign of the magnetic quantum number has changed. Vector evolution diagrams are introduced to interpret the conventional cross sections and the pattern of the Stückelberg-like oscillations. The semiclassical model gives the correct order of magnitude for the coherence cross sections, but in this case, is inadequate in the quantitative description; thus the coherence cross sections are mainly studied with full quantum calculations. The coherence cross section is especially sensitive to small variations in the energy difference and shape of the potential curves. The value of the coherence cross section is strongly correlated to the position and well depth of the potential minimum of the 2Π state.
Semiclassical calculations of the quasi-elastic l-mixing and inelastic n,l-changing processes in thermal collisions of a Rydberg sodium atom with rare-gas atoms (Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe) as well as and atoms with Ne are presented in a wide range of principal quantum numbers. The main emphasis is put on the study of the effects in the Rydberg-atom - rare-gas-atom collisions associated with both the short- and long-range (polarization) parts of the electron - perturber interaction. It is shown that the polarization interaction between the highly excited electron and the Ne atom provides the major contribution to the cross section of the l-mixing and n, l -changing transitions. We show that the Ramsauer - Townsend effect in slow electron scattering by the heavy rare-gas atoms significantly affects the values of the cross sections, particularly for the inelastic transitions with large energy transfer. A quantitative explanation of these phenomena is given using the recently developed semiclassical normalized perturbation theory for the Rydberg-atom - neutral collisions combined with the modified effective range theory for scattering of slow electrons by the rare-gas atoms.
A theory of inelastic n,l-changing and quasielastic l-mixing collisions of Rydberg atoms with the heavy rare-gas atoms is developed. It is based on the semiclassical impact-parameter approach combined with the normalized perturbation theory. Semiclassical formulas for scaled transition probabilities and cross sections as functions of the inelasticity parameter and the collision strength are analyzed. This approach gives a general description of collisional nl\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${\mathit{n}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ transitions independently of the specific values of the principal quantum number, the relative velocity, and the type of colliding atoms. The energy and angular dependence of the electron-atom scattering amplitude is included in the theory by incorporating the impulse-approximation results in the weak-coupling limit. The Ramsauer-Townsend effect affects significantly the values of the cross sections, especially for the inelastic transitions with large energy transfer. The results obtained are used in calculations of the quenching cross sections for the Rb(nS,nD,nF) atoms in collisions with Ar, Kr, and Xe. Comparison of theory and experiment is made in a wide range of the principal quantum numbers and transition energy defects. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.