Magnetic decoupling studies of Rb relaxation in Xe
Abstract
We present the results of extensive experiments on the relaxation of ^85Rb and ^87Rb due to gas-phase interactions with Xe in the presence of third-body gases in the pressure range from tens of torr to more than an atmosphere. By studying the relaxation as a function of applied magnetic field from 0 to 6000 G, we are able to separate the Rb relaxation into contributions from Rb--Xe binary collisions and from Rb--Xe van der Waals molecules. We have determined to high accuracy the strength of the Rb--Xe spin-rotation coupling constant, and we report the temperature dependences of the Rb--Xe binary relaxation cross section, the molecular formation rate, and the molecular break-up rate.
- Publication:
-
APS Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- May 2001
- Bibcode:
- 2001APS..DMP.B2007G