Polarizabilities of rubidium (9-10)S 1/2 and 8D 3/2, 5/2 states

Polarizabilities of several rubidium states were determined by measuring stark shifts of transitions using an electro-optically modulated laser beam to excite an atomic beam. The voltage required for atoms excited by the laser beam in an electric field to be simultaneously in resonance as atoms excited by a frequency sideband of the laser in a field free region was measured. The scalar α and tensor α ₂ polarizabilities were found to be: α (9 S _1/2 ) = 103.77±0.09, α (10 S _1/2 ) = 272.54±0.16, α (8 D _3/2 ) = 230.68±0.25 and α ₂ (8 D _3/2 ) = 26.55±0.10, α (8 D _5/2 ) = 222.68±0.14 and α ₂ (8 D _5/2 ) = 51.91±0.10 MHz/(kV/cm)². The results are 100 times more accurate than previous measurements and are within 1% of those found theoretically using a Coulomb approximation calculation. Received 7 September 2000 and Received in final form 6 December 2000     

Linewidth studies on Cd+ 636.0 nm and 537.8 nm lines excited in a He-Cd hollow cathode discharge

Hollow cathode (HC) lasers usually operate in a single axial mode without any optical selection. This is attributed to the large homogeneous linewidth of the gain curve due to the relatively high filling pressure of these lasers. Collisional and Doppler broadening (Δν_C and Δν_D) of the Cd⁺ 636 nm and Cd⁺ 538 nm lines (laser transitions of the HeCd⁺ laser) excited in a HC discharge tube were determined using a Fabry–Perot interferometer technique. It was found that in the pressure range 7–25 mbar Δν_D was nearly constant, while, as expected, Δν_C increased linearly with pressure. The broadening constants were α(636 nm)= (47±2) MHz/mbarand α(538 nm)=(11.8±0.5) MHz/mbar. The first constant is large enough to explain single-mode operation of the red HeCd⁺ laser; but in the case of the green laser, the exact reason for the single-mode operation remained unclear. Received: 23 November 2000 / Revised version: 30 March 2001 / Published online: 7 June 2001     

Resonant coupling in the van der Waals interaction between an excited alkali atom and a dielectric surface: an experimental study via stepwise selective reflection spectroscopy

We present a detailed experimental study of the evaluation of the van der Waals (vW) atom-surface interaction for high-lying excited states of alkali-metal atoms (Cs and Rb), notably when they couple resonantly with a surface-polariton mode of the neighbouring dielectric surface. This report extends our initial observation [Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 5467 (1999)] of a vW repulsion between Cs(6D_3/2) and a sapphire surface. The experiment is based upon FM selective reflection spectroscopy, on a transition reaching a high-lying state from a resonance level, that has been thermally pumped by an initial one-photon step. Along with a strong vW repulsion fitted with a blue lineshift, -160±25 kHz μm³ for Cs(6D_3/2) in front of a sapphire surface (with a perpendicular c-axis), we demonstrate a weaker vW repulsion (-32±5 kHz μm³) for Cs(6D_3/2) in front of a YAG surface, as due to a similar resonant coupling at 12 μm between a virtual atomic emission (6D_3/2-7P_1/2) and the surface polariton modes. A resonant behaviour of Rb(6D_5/2) in front of a sapphire surface exists also because of analogous decay channels in the 12 μm range. Finally, one demonstrates that fused silica, nonresonant for a virtual transition in the 12 μm range and hence weakly attracting for Cs(6D_3/2), exhibits a resonant behaviour for Cs(9S_1/2) as due to its surface polariton resonance in the 8-9 μm range. The limiting factors that affect both the accuracy of the theoretical prediction, and that of the fitting method applied to the experimental data, are discussed in the conclusion. Received 16 January 2003 / Received in final form 25 March 2003 Published online 5 May 2003     

Quasi-free Compton scattering and the polarizabilities of the neutron

Differential cross-sections for quasi-free Compton scattering from the proton and neutron bound in the deuteron have been measured using the Glasgow/Mainz photon tagging spectrometer at the Mainz MAMI accelerator together with the Mainz [48]cm ;SPMOslash; × [64]cm NaI(Tl) photon detector and the G?ttingen SENECA recoil detector. The data cover photon energies ranging from [200]MeV to [400]MeV at θ^LAB _γ = 136.2^°. Liquid deuterium and hydrogen targets allowed direct comparison of free and quasi-free scattering from the proton. The neutron detection efficiency of the SENECA detector was measured via the reaction p(γ,π⁺ n). The “free” proton Compton scattering cross-sections extracted from the bound proton data are in reasonable agreement with those for the free proton which gives confidence in the method to extract the differential cross-section for free scattering from quasi-free data. Differential cross-sections on the free neutron have been extracted and the difference of the electromagnetic polarizabilities of the neutron has been determined to be α_n - β_n = 9.8±3.6(stat)^+2.1 _-1.1(syst)±2.2(model) in units of [10^-4]fm ³. In combination with the polarizability sum α_n + β_n = 15.2±0.5 deduced from photoabsorption data, the neutron electric and magnetic polarizabilities, α_n = 12.5±1.8(stat)^+1.1 _-0.6(syst)±1.1(model) and β_n = 2.7±1.8(stat)^+0.6 _-1.1(syst)±1.1(model) are obtained. The backward spin polarizability of the neutron was determined to be γ⁽ⁿ⁾ _π = (58.6±4.0)×10^-4 fm ⁴. Received: 21 August 2002 / Accepted: 16 October 2002 / Published online: 11 February 2003 RID="a" ID="a"Part of the Doctoral Thesis. RID="b" ID="b"Present address: Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Bundesallee 100, D-38116 Braunschweig. RID="a" ID="a"Part of the Doctoral Thesis. RID="b" ID="b"Present address: Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Bundesallee 100, D-38116 Braunschweig. RID="c" ID="c"Part of the Habilitation Thesis. RID="d" ID="d"e-mail: schumacher@physik2.uni-goettingen.de Communicated by Th. Walcher     

Laser-induced fluorescence study of a xenon Hall thruster

2 ⁰→6p[3/2]₂(³P₂-¹D₂) transition at 823.2 nm and the xenon-ion 5d[3]_7/2→6p[2]_5/2 ⁰(⁴D_7/2-⁴P_5/2) transition is used to measure plasma parameters in the plume of a laboratory-model xenon Hall thruster. The Hall discharge operates nominally at 62 V, 4.2 A, and 3.2 mg s^-1 xenon flow, with an overall thruster power of 320 W. A tunable semiconductor diode laser and an Ar⁺-pumped dye laser are used to probe the respective excited-state transitions. Axial velocity measurements are made at a number of axial and radial locations up to 4.5 cm downstream of the thruster-exit plane and under a variety of thruster operating conditions. Neutral velocities from 100 m s^-1 to 400 m s^-1 and ion velocities as high as 12 km s^-1 are calculated from measured Doppler shifts. The charge-exchange phenomenon evidently does not significantly affect the xenon neutrals. The spectral-line shapes of the ion indicate a spread in ion energies through a non-Maxwellian distribution of axial velocities. Neutral kinetic temperatures of 500 (±200) K are observed under standard operating conditions. Zeeman and Stark effects on the spectral-line shapes, from the thruster’s magnetic and electric fields, are not substantial. The measured line center of the ion transition is 16521.23 (±0.02) cm^-1. Received: 20 January 1997/Revised version: 12 May 1997     

Penning collisions of laser-cooled metastable helium atoms

We present experimental results on the two-body loss rates in a magneto-optical trap of metastable helium atoms. Absolute rates are measured in a systematic way for several laser detunings ranging from -5 to -30 MHz and at different intensities, by monitoring the decay of the trap fluorescence. The dependence of the two-body loss rate coefficient β on the excited state ( 2³ P ₂) and metastable state ( 2³ S ₁) populations is also investigated. From these results we infer a rather uniform rate constant K _sp = (1±0.4)×10^-7 cm³/s. Received 8 September 2000 and Received in final form 19 December 2000     

Microscopic three-cluster study of the low-energy 9 Be photodisintegration

The ⁹Be and ⁹B nuclei are investigated in a microscopic three-cluster model involving α + α + n (or α + α + p) configurations. The ⁸Be (0 ⁺ , 2 ⁺ ) + n and ⁵He (3/2 ^- , 1/2 ^- ) + α (or mirror) channels are included by taking account of the unstable nature of ⁸Be and ⁵He. Spectroscopic properties of ⁹Be and ⁹B are analyzed. We show that the ⁵He + α configurations cannot be neglected to derive accurate results. The ⁹Be(γ,αα)n photodisintegration cross-section is shown to be mainly determined by ⁸Be + n channels at low energies, but ⁵He + α channels become important beyond E _γ≈ 4 MeV. Received: 7 September 2001 / Accepted: 19 November 2001     

Superconductivity of Rb 3 C 60 : breakdown of the Migdal-Eliashberg theory

In this paper, through an exhaustive analysis within the Migdal-Eliashberg theory, we show the incompatibility of experimental data of Rb₃C₆₀ with the basic assumptions of the standard theory of superconductivity. For different models of the electron-phonon spectral function α ² F (Ω) we solve numerically the Eliashberg equations to find which values of the electron-phonon coupling λ, of the logarithmic phonon frequency and of the Coulomb pseudopotential μ ^* reproduce the experimental data of Rb₃C₆₀. We find that the solutions are essentially independent of the particular shape of α ² F (Ω) and that, to explain the experimental data of Rb₃C₆₀, one has to resort to extremely large couplings: λ = 3.0±0.8. This results differs from the usual partial analyses reported up to now and we claim that this value exceeds the maximum allowed λ compatible with the crystal lattice stability. Moreover, we show quantitatively that the obtained values of λ and strongly violate Migdal's theorem and consequently are incompatible with the Migdal-Eliashberg theory. One has therefore to consider the generalization of the theory of superconductivity in the nonadiabatic regime to account for the experimental properties of fullerides. Received 30 March 2001     

Quark momentum-space charge distribution in deuteron and neutron/proton structure functions ratio

The electromagnetic polarizabilities of the nucleon are shown to be essentially composed of the nonresonant α _p(E ₀₊) = + 3.2, α _n(E ₀₊) = + 4.1, the t-channel α ^t _{p, n} = - β ^t _{p, n} = + 7.6 and the resonant β _{p, n}(P ₃₃(1232)) = + 8.3 contributions (in units of 10^-4fm^3). The remaining deviations from the experimental data Δα _p = 1.2±0.6, Δβ _p = 1.2±0.6, Δα _n = 0.8±1.7 and Δβ _n = 2.0±1.8 are contributed by a larger number of resonant and nonresonant processes with cancellations between the contributions. This result confirms that dominant contributions to the electric and magnetic polarizabilities may be represented in terms of two-photon coupling to the σ-meson having the predicted mass m _σ = 666MeV and two-photon width Γ _γγ = 2.6keV.     

Oscillator strength of the strongly “forbidden” Pb 6 p 2 3 P 0 ?6 p 2 3 P 1 transition at 1278.9 nm

The “forbidden” Pb 6p^{2 3}P ₀ ↦6 p ^{2 3}P₁ line at 1278.9 nm is measured by diode laser absorption in a resistively heated hot-pipe filled with a lead vapour and argon as buffer gas. The measurements performed at a temperature of 1170 K and a lead number density of 2.4×10 ¹⁵ cm^-3 yield the oscillator strength f _F = (4.5±1.1)×10 ^-7 which corresponds to a radiative transition probability A _F = (6.1±1.5) s^-1. Within the error bars, the result is in agreement with theoretical data published by different authors. Received 11 October 2000 and Received in final form 5 January 2001     

Photoacoustic gas sensing employing fundamental and frequency-doubled radiation of a continuously tunable high-pressure CO2 laser

We present the first photoacoustic spectrometer for gas sensing employing both the fundamental and the frequency-doubled radiation of a continuously tunable high-pressure CO₂ laser with room temperature operation. A quasi-phase-matched diffusion-bonded GaAs crystal is used in the system for second-harmonic generation. A pulsed photoacoustic detection scheme with a non-resonant cell, equipped with an 80-microphone array, is employed. The wide continuous tuning range in the fundamental (9.2–10.7 μm) and the frequency-doubled (4.6–5.35 μm) regimes, together with the narrow linewidth of 540 MHz (0.018 cm^-1) for the 10-μm region and of 1050 MHz (0.0315 cm^-1) for the 5-μm region, allow the measurement of gas mixtures, individual species and isotope discrimination. This is illustrated with measurements on NO and CO₂. The measured isotope ratio ¹⁵ NO/¹⁴ NO=(3.58±0.55)×10^-3 agrees well with the literature (3.700×10^-3) and demonstrates the good selectivity of the system. Received: 30 April 2002 / Revised version: 10 June 2002 / Published online: 2 September 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +41-1/633-1077, E-mail: sigrist@iqe.phys.ethz.ch     

Determination of fine structure intervals in a series of excited sodium D states using doppler free two-photon spectroscopy

Using Doppler free two-photon spectroscopy technique, we have measured the absolute values of fine-structure (fs) intervals in a series of excited sodium n²D states (n = 3,6,7, and 8). We have shown the structures are inverted and our measured values for these states are: Δ_fs(3²D) = -1523 ± 8 MHz, Δ_fs(6²D) = -385 ± 5 MHz, Δ_fs(7²D) = -253 ± MHz, and Δ_fs(8²D) = -173 ± 10 MHz.     

Precise measurement of hyperfine structure in the state of Rb

We demonstrate a technique to measure hyperfine structure using a frequency-stabilized diode laser and an acousto-optic modulator locked to the frequency difference between two hyperfine peaks. We use this technique to measure hyperfine intervals in the 5 P _3/2 state of ⁸⁵Rb and obtain a precision of 20 kHz. We extract values for the magnetic-dipole coupling constant A = 25.038(5) MHz and the electric-quadrupole coupling constant B = 26.011(22) MHz. These values are a significant improvement over previous results. Received 6 March 2003 Published online 15 April 2003     

Universality in diffusion front growth dynamics

We have studied the scaling properties of diffusion fronts by numerical calculations based on the mean field approach in the context of a lattice gas model, performed in a triangular lattice. We find that the height-height correlation function scales with time t and length l as C(l, t) ≈l ^α f (t/l ^α/β) with α = 0.62±0.01 and β = 0.39±0.02. These exponent values are identical to those characterising the roughness of the diffusion fronts evolving through a square lattice [1,2], thus confirming their universality. Received 14 November 2001 / Received in final form 20 April 2002 Published online 31 July 2002     

The E1 capture amplitude in 12C(α,γ0) 16O

An excitation function of the ground-state γ₀-ray capture transition in ¹²C (α,γ)¹⁶O at θ_γ = 90^° was obtained in far geometry using six Ge detectors, where the study of the reaction was initiated in inverse kinematics involving a windowless gas target. The detectors observed predominantly the E1 capture amplitude. The data at E = 1.32 to 2.99 MeV lead to an extrapolated astrophysical S factor S _E1(E ₀) = 90±15 keV b at E ₀ = 0.3 MeV (for the case of constructive interference between the two lowest E1 sources), in good agreement with previous works. However, a novel Monte Carlo approach in the data extrapolation reveals systematic differences between the various data sets such that a combined analysis of all available data sets could produce a biased estimate of the S _E1(E ₀) value. As a consequence, the case of destructive interference between the two lowest E1 sources with S _E1(E ₀) = 8±3 keV b cannot be ruled out rigorously. Received: 6 June 2001 / Accepted: 26 July 2001     

Kinematical separation of α-n final-state interaction at 50 MeV incident energy

A kinematically complete experiment has been performed to study the α-n final-state interaction (FSI) in the α + d ↦α + p + n break-up reaction at 50 MeV incident energy for the alpha-particles. For this, we have chosen four pairs of correlation angles for the outgoing alpha and protons. These are ( θ_α = 18^°, θ_p = 42^°), ( θ_α = 20^°, θ_p = 45^°), ( θ_α = 22^°, θ_p = 42^°) and ( θ_α = 22^°, θ_p = 47^°), selected kinematically where the allowed phase spaces are in favor of the α-n final-state interaction. Our experimental data show strong α-n FSI in all the selected configurations. Also, the FSI is found to be stronger at the lower alpha-particle energy when two FSI peaks appear in the same configuration. Received: 17 June 2002 / Accepted: 3 October 2002 / Published online: 4 February 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: dey_s2001@yahoo.com; Present address: 445 Waupelani Drive, Apt. F3, State College, PA 16801, USA. Communicated by M. Gar?on     

Study of excitation transfer Li (3 D → 3 P ) occurring in optical collisions with rare gas atoms experimentally

By selective optical excitation of collision pairs and observation of the reemitted fluorescence information is obtained on the role of the molecular channels involved in inelelastic collisions. As an example case we have studied experimentally the Li( 3 D → 3 P) excitation transfer in Li(3D)X systems with X = Ne, Ar by means of the optical collision process Li (2 P ) + X + h ν→ LiX (3 D Λ) → Li (3 P , 3 D ) + X where LiX (3 D Λ) collision molecules dissociate into Li(3P, 3D) atoms following laser excitation h ν of Li (2 P ) + X pairs. For this purpose we measured the Li 3P/3D population ratio by the fluorescence from these levels as function of the laser detuning Δν from the Li(2P-3D) transition and the rare gas pressure, and determined from this the 3P/3D excitation ratio B (Δν) for single collision conditions. The experiments were performed using two step cw laser excitation of gaseous mixtures Li + X at temperatures around 600 K in the detuning range |Δν| ? 100 cm^-1. The B (Δν) profiles obtained display strong blue-red wing asymmetries both for Li ^* Ne and Li ^* Ar. This reflects different dissociation probabilities from the 3 D Σ or 3 D (Π,Δ) states that are initially prepared by blue wing or red wing excitation, respectively. The results are qualitatively discussed in terms of new ab initio potentials for the two systems. Received 23 February 2000 and Received in final form 5 July 2000     

High-resolution spectroscopy with and frequency stabilization of a cw dye laser

The hyperfine splittings of the Na D₁ and D₂ lines were investigated using a single mode cw dye laser. The light of the laser was scattered by the atoms of an atomic beam and the fluorescent light was observed as the frequency of the laser was tuned across the D lines. The Doppler width of the atomic beam was reduced to about 2.5 MHz so that the absorption width of the atoms of the beam was essentially determined by the natural width of the 3²P_1/2 and 3²P_3/2 levels, which is about 10 MHz. Since the linewidth observed for the hyperfine transitions was 30 MHz, most of the hyperfine components of the D₁ and D₂ lines could be resolved. In another experiment the frequency of the dye laser was locked to a hyperfine transition of the D₁ line. The observed variation of the output frequency of the dye laser was less than ±1.5 MHz. In addition, the intensity of the dye laser was controlled to about 10⁻³, using an electro-optically variable transmission filter.     

Nuclear spins, magnetic moments and α-decay spectroscopy of long-lived isomeric states in 185Pb

Alpha-decay properties of the neutron-deficient isotope ¹⁸⁵Pb were studied at the PSB-ISOLDE (CERN) on-line mass separator using the resonance ionisation laser ion source (RILIS). The nuclei of interest were produced in a 1.4 GeV proton-induced spallation reaction of a uranium graphite target. In contrast to previous studies, two α-decaying isomeric states were identified in ¹⁸⁵Pb. The relative production of the isomers, monitored by their α-counting rates, could be significantly changed when a narrow-bandwidth laser at the RILIS setup was used to scan through the atomic hyperfine structure. Based on the atomic hyperfine structure measurements, along with the systematics for heavier odd-mass lead isotopes, the spin and the parity of these states were interpreted as 3/2^- and 13/2⁺ and their nuclear magnetic moments were deduced. The α-decay energy and half-life value for the I ^π = 13/2⁺ isomer are E _α = 6408(5) keV, T _1/2 = 4.3(2) s, respectively; while for the I ^π = 3/2^- isomer ( T _1/2 = 6.3(4) s) two α-decays with E _α1 = 6288(5) keV, I _α1 = 56(2)% and E _α2 = 6486(5) keV, I _α2 = 44(2)% were observed. By observing prompt α-γ coincidences new information on the low-lying states in the daughter isotope ¹⁸¹Hg was obtained. Received: 7 February 2002 / Accepted: 19 February 2002     

Aggregation of 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine with methylene blue in aqueous solution

We have studied self-association of aromatic molecules of the thiazine dye methylene blue in aqueous solution, using a dimer model. We have determined the dimerization equilibrium constant for the dye molecules K_D = 3900 ± 800 M⁻¹ at T = 293 K. We have decomposed the experimental spectrum into dimer and monomer components. Using the ratio of the molar absorption coefficients for two absorption bands of the dimer spectrum, we obtained the “average” value of the angle between the electronic transition moments of the molecules in the dimers, α = 48°. We have studied heteroassociation of methylene blue (MB) and 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine (caffeine) molecules in aqueous solution. We have calculated the heteroassociation constant as 200 ± 34 M⁻¹. We conclude that heteroassociation of methylene blue and caffeine molecules leads to a lower effective dye concentration in solution, which hypothetically may affect its biological activity. We have determined the values of the Gibbs free energy, the enthalpy, and the entropy for dimerization of methylene blue molecules: ΔG₂₉₃ = −(20 ± 3) kJ/mol, ΔH = −(25 ± 9) kJ/mol, Δ S₂₉₃ = −(17 ± 6) J/mol·K; and for methylene blue-caffeine heteroassociation: ΔG₂₉₃ = −(13 ± 3) kJ/mol, ΔH = −(14 ± 10) kJ/mol, ΔS₂₉₃ = −(2.4 ± 0.2) J/mol·K, respectively. We have shown that the methylene blue aggregates and the heteroassociates with caffeine are predominantly stabilized by dispersion interactions between the chromophore molecules in the associates. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 73, No. 2, pp. 158–163, March–April, 2006.