Magnetic Trapping and Zeeman Relaxation of NH (X-triplet-Sigma)

Abstract

NH radicals are magnetically trapped and their Zeeman relaxation and energy transport collision cross sections with helium are measured. Continuous buffer-gas loading of the trap is direct from a room-temperature molecular beam. The Zeeman relaxation (inelastic) cross section of magnetically trapped electronic, vibrational, and rotational ground state NH molecules in collisions with He3 is measured to be 3.8±1.1×10−19 cm2 at 710 mK. The NH-He energy transport cross section is also measured, indicating a ratio of diffusive to inelastic cross sections of γ=7×104, in agreement with recent theory [R. V. Krems, H. R. Sadeghpour, A. Dalgarno, D. Zgid, J. Kłos, and G. Chałasiński, Phys. Rev. A 68, 051401 (2003)].