Interactions and dynamics in Li + Li_2 ultracold collisions

Abstract

A potential energy surface for the lowest quartet electronic state of lithium trimer is developed and used to study spin-polarized Li + Li_2 collisions at ultralow kinetic energies. The potential energy surface allows barrierless atom exchange reactions. Elastic and inelastic cross sections are calculated for collisions involving a variety of rovibrational states of Li_2. Inelastic collisions are responsible for trap loss in molecule production experiments. Isotope effects and the sensitivity of the results to details of the potential energy surface are investigated. It is found that for vibrationally excited states the cross sections are only quite weakly dependent on details of the potential energy surface.

21 pages, 27 figures. Version 2 is final version as accepted for publication in J. Chem. Phys

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Cited by in corpus (3)

• Non-relativistic ab initio calculations for $2^{2}S$, $2^{2}P$ and $3^{2}D$ lithium isotopes: Applications to polarizabilities and dispersion interactions
• Feshbach resonances in ultracold atom-molecule collisions
• Formation of molecular oxygen in ultracold O + OH reaction