Experimental studies of the interaction of Rydberg atoms with charged particles

И. Л. Бейгман, M. I. Syrkin

Владимир Сергеевич Лебедев, И. Л. Бейгман

Daniel Kleppner

R. F. Stebbings, F. B. Dunning

List of contributors Preface 1. Rydberg atoms in astrophysics A. Dalgarno 2. Theoretical studies of hydrogen Rydberg atoms in electric fields R. J. Damburg and V. V. Kolosov 3. Rydberg atoms in strong fields D. Kleppner, Michael G. Littman and Myron L. Zimmerman 4. Spectroscopy of one- and two-electron Rydberg atoms C. Fabre and S. Haroche 5. Interaction of Rydberg atoms with blackbody radiation T. F. Gallagher 6. Theoretical approaches to low-energy collisions of Rydberg atoms with atoms and ions A. P. Hickman, R. E. Olson and J. Pascale 7. Experimental studies of the interaction of Rydberg atoms with atomic species at thermal energies F. Gounand and J. Berlande 8. Theoretical studies of collisions of Rydberg atoms with molecules Michio Matsuzawa 9. Experimental studies of thermal-energy collisions of Rydberg atoms with molecules F. B. Dunning and R. F. Stebbings 10. High-Rydberg molecules Robert S. Freund 11. Theory of Rydberg collisions with electrons, ions and neutrals M. R. Flannery 12. Experimental studies of the interactions of Rydberg atoms with charged particles J. -F. Delpech 13. Rydberg studies using fast beams Peter M. Koch Index.

Thomas F. Gallagher

Recent investigations of Rydberg atoms are described in an effort to give a picture of their properties, many of which can be understood from the behaviour of the Coulomb radial functions. The authors begin by a discussion of Coulomb wavefunctions, and progress to a description of the energy level structure. The behaviour of Rydberg atoms in electric fields is discussed to provide an understanding of the phenomenon and to show how electric field ionisation may be used as a tool in a wide variety of experiments. Unique opportunities to study the interaction with black-body radiation and vacuum fluctuations are discussed. A survey of the broad range of Rydberg atom collisions, with ground-state atoms and molecules, charged particles and other Rydberg atoms, is presented to show the different physical interactions responsible. This is followed by a brief summary of the study of autoionising Rydberg states, a stepping stone toward the elusive 'double Rydberg' atom. Finally typical experimental procedures are described.

HERBERT WALTHER