Measurement of a Large Chemical Reaction Rate between Ultracold Closed-Shell {sup 40}Ca Atoms and Open-Shell {sup 174}Yb{sup +} Ions Held in a Hybrid Atom-Ion Trap

Journal Article · Fri Dec 09 00:00:00 EST 2011 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.107.243201· OSTI ID:21612554

Rellergert, Wade G; Sullivan, Scott T; Kuang, Chen; Schowalter, Steven J; Hudson, Eric R ^[1]; Kotochigova, Svetlana; Petrov, Alexander ^[2]

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1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095 (United States)
2. Department of Physics, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122 (United States)

Ultracold {sup 174}Yb{sup +} ions and {sup 40}Ca atoms are confined in a hybrid trap. The charge exchange chemical reaction rate constant between these two species is measured and found to be 4 orders of magnitude larger than recent measurements in other heteronuclear systems. The structure of the CaYb{sup +} molecule is determined and used in a calculation that explains the fast chemical reaction as a consequence of strong radiative charge transfer. A possible explanation is offered for the apparent contradiction between typical theoretical predictions and measurements of the radiative association process in this and other recent experiments.

• OSTI ID: 21612554
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 107, Issue 24; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.243201; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
CALCIUM 40
CHARGE EXCHANGE
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
REACTION KINETICS
YTTERBIUM 174
YTTERBIUM IONS
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
CALCIUM ISOTOPES
CHARGED PARTICLES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
IONS
ISOTOPES
KINETICS
LIGHT NUCLEI
NUCLEI
RARE EARTH NUCLEI
STABLE ISOTOPES
YTTERBIUM ISOTOPES