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Effect of hyperfine interactions on ultracold molecular collisions : NH((3)Sigma(-)) with Mg(S-1) in magnetic fields

Gonzalez-Martinez, Maykel L.; Hutson, Jeremy M.

Effect of hyperfine interactions on ultracold molecular collisions : NH((3)Sigma(-)) with Mg(S-1) in magnetic fields Thumbnail


Authors

Maykel L. Gonzalez-Martinez



Abstract

We investigate the effect of hyperfine interactions on ultracold molecular collisions in magnetic fields, using 24Mg(1S)+14NH(3Σ−) as a prototype system. We explore the energy and magnetic-field dependence of the cross sections, comparing the results with previous calculations that neglected hyperfine interactions [ A.O.G. Wallis and J. M. Hutson Phys. Rev. Lett. 103 183201 (2009)]. The main effect of hyperfine interactions for spin relaxation cross sections is that the kinetic energy release of the dominant outgoing channels does not reduce to zero at low fields. This results in reduced centrifugal suppression of the cross sections and increased inelastic cross sections at low energy and low field. We also analyze state-to-state cross sections, for various initial states, and show that hyperfine interactions introduce additional mechanisms for spin relaxation. In particular, there are hyperfine-mediated collisions to outgoing channels that are not centrifugally suppressed. However, for Mg+NH these unsuppressed channels make only small contributions to the total cross sections. We consider the implications of our results for sympathetic cooling of NH by Mg and conclude that the ratio of elastic to inelastic cross sections remains high enough for sympathetic cooling to proceed.

Citation

Gonzalez-Martinez, M. L., & Hutson, J. M. (2011). Effect of hyperfine interactions on ultracold molecular collisions : NH((3)Sigma(-)) with Mg(S-1) in magnetic fields. Physical Review A, 84(5), Article 052706. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.84.052706

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Jan 1, 2011
Deposit Date Jun 19, 2013
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Physical Review A
Print ISSN 1050-2947
Electronic ISSN 1094-1622
Publisher American Physical Society
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 84
Issue 5
Article Number 052706
DOI https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.84.052706

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Copyright Statement
© 2011 American Physical Society




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