Analysis of the alignment in Na/sub 2/ /sup +/ rotational angular momentum arising from associative-ionization collisions between polarized Na(3p) atoms

Journal Article · Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1986 · Phys. Rev. A; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.34.1869· OSTI ID:5109016

Wang, M; de Vries, M S; Weiner, J

We present a semiclassical model to analyze a recent experimental study on the polarization dependence of associative-ionization (AI) collisions between two Na(3p /sup 2/P/sub 3/2/) atoms and the resulting spatial distribution of product rotational angular-momentum vectors. The theory is based on the idea of a ''locking radius'' at which the quantization axis changes from space-fixed coordinates to the molecular frame, and the total AI yield is a sum of the contributions from different collision orbital configurations. The model calculation shows the consistency between the measurements of our earlier study and that of Kircz, Morgenstern, and Nienhuis. We also derive a theoretical expression for the spatial distribution of Na/sub 2/ /sup +/ rotational angular-momentum vectors which reproduces the experimentally determined features. We conclude that the sigma/sup 2/ orbital configuration approach is favored over ..pi../sup 2/ by a factor of about 6, and locking takes place at R larger than 25 A.

• Research Organization: Department of Chemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742
• OSTI ID: 5109016
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. A; (United States), Vol. 34:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
SODIUM
ATOM-ATOM COLLISIONS
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
IONIZATION
MOLECULAR IONS
POLARIZED BEAMS
ROTATIONAL STATES
SEMICLASSICAL APPROXIMATION
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
VECTORS
ALKALI METALS
ATOM COLLISIONS
BEAMS
CHARGED PARTICLES
COLLISIONS
DISTRIBUTION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LEVELS
EXCITED STATES
IONS
METALS
TENSORS
640304* - Atomic
Molecular & Chemical Physics- Collision Phenomena