Thermalization of magnetically trapped metastable helium - art. no. 034703

Authors
Browaeys, A Robert, A Sirjean, O Poupard, J Nowak, S Boiron, D Westbrook, CI Aspect, A
Citation
A. Browaeys et al., Thermalization of magnetically trapped metastable helium - art. no. 034703, PHYS REV A, 6403(3), 2001, pp. 4703
Citations number
30
Categorie Soggetti
Physics
Journal title
PHYSICAL REVIEW A
ISSN journal
10502947 → ACNP
Volume
6403
Issue
3
Year of publication
2001
Database
ISI
SICI code
1050-2947(200109)6403:3<4703:TOMTMH>2.0.ZU;2-4
Abstract
We have observed thermalization by elastic collisions of magnetically trapp ed metastable helium atoms. Our method directly samples the reconstruction of a thermal energy distribution after the application of a RF knife. The r elaxation time of our sample toward equilibrium gives an elastic collision rate constant of alpha similar to5 x 10(-9) cm(3)/s at a temperature of 1 m K. This value is close to the unitarity limit.