LOW TEMPERATURE CHEMICAL REACTOR

Author Institution: Department of Physics, University of ConnecticutA new approach for production of very cold molecules is described. This includes an experimental system for producing and observing $Cs^{\ast}+H_{2}\rightarrow CS$ chemical reactions below 10 K. The ground state Cs atoms are trapped and cooled down to few hundred microKelvin in a standard magneto-optical trap (MOT), and then excited to the $7 P_{1/2}$ or $7 P_{3/2}$ state. A cold para $H_{2}$ beam (up to 10 K) collides with $Cs^{+}$ atoms. Due to the reaction energetics, the CsH molecules produced by the $7 P_{1/2}$ reaction must be in the lowest rovibrational state. Detection techniques to be employed include LIF and REMPI