Flash-freezing of molecular ions in a storage ring
This kind of laboratory astrophysics helps to understand in more detail the physical and chemical properties of cold interstellar matter.
The interaction of molecular ions with free electrons is of key importance to understand the physical and chemical properties of cold astrophysical environments like interstellar molecular clouds. Whereas electron-ion recombination has been studied in great detail in storage ring and ion trap experiments in the last two decades, information about the exchange of energy between slow electrons and the internal motion (rotation and vibration) of molecular ions was rather limited.
Researchers of the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics (MPIK) in Heidelberg, of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot (Israel) and of three other collaborating institutions have now published first quantitative results for fast electron cooling of rotating singly charged HD molecular ions. In the TSR heavy ion storage ring of the MPIK an HD molecular ion beam was merged with cold electrons of 33 K (-240°C) temperature, i. e. 33 degrees above absolute zero.
The interaction with the electrons reduced the rotational temperature of the ions from initially about 1200°C to -150°C within only 8 seconds and stabilized it at this low value in the simultaneously acting thermal radiation field at the ambient room temperature (300 K). During the process, the ions pass the electron cooling bath about 175000 times per second. The cooling due to so-called superelastic collisions, where some amount of energy is transferred from the rotational motion of the ion to linear motion of the electron, is well described by theoretical calculations initiated through this experiment.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Andreas Wolf
Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Heidelberg
Phone: (+49)6221-516-503
Fax: (+49)6221-516-852
E-mail: andreas.wolf@mpi-hd.mpg.de
Prof. Dr. Daniel Zajfman
Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
Phone: (+972)8-934-3951
Fax: (+972)8-934-4100
E-mail: daniel.zajfman@weizmann.ac.il
Weitere Informationen:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.223202 Orginal publication
http://www.mpi-hd.mpg.de/blaum/members/molecular-qd/index.en.html Group of Prof. Andreas Wolf
http://www.weizmann.ac.il/particle/molecule/ Group of Prof. Daniel Zajfman
Media Contact
All latest news from the category: Physics and Astronomy
This area deals with the fundamental laws and building blocks of nature and how they interact, the properties and the behavior of matter, and research into space and time and their structures.
innovations-report provides in-depth reports and articles on subjects such as astrophysics, laser technologies, nuclear, quantum, particle and solid-state physics, nanotechnologies, planetary research and findings (Mars, Venus) and developments related to the Hubble Telescope.
Newest articles
High-energy-density aqueous battery based on halogen multi-electron transfer
Traditional non-aqueous lithium-ion batteries have a high energy density, but their safety is compromised due to the flammable organic electrolytes they utilize. Aqueous batteries use water as the solvent for…
First-ever combined heart pump and pig kidney transplant
…gives new hope to patient with terminal illness. Surgeons at NYU Langone Health performed the first-ever combined mechanical heart pump and gene-edited pig kidney transplant surgery in a 54-year-old woman…
Biophysics: Testing how well biomarkers work
LMU researchers have developed a method to determine how reliably target proteins can be labeled using super-resolution fluorescence microscopy. Modern microscopy techniques make it possible to examine the inner workings…
