title: Probing Scattering Resonances in (Ultra)Cold Inelastic NO-He Collisions.
abstract: We theoretically study inelastic collisions between NO radicals and He atoms at low collision energies, focusing on the occurrence of scattering resonances. We specifically investigate de-excitation of rotationally excited NO radicals (X (2)Π1/2, v = 0, j = 3/2, f) at collision energies ranging from 10(-3) to 20 cm(-1) and compute integral and differential cross sections using quantum mechanical close-coupling calculations. Although unconventional, we show that the measurement of rotational de-excitation cross sections brings several advantages to experiments that aim to study rotational energy transfer at temperatures approaching zero kelvin. We analyze the nature and partial wave composition of the quasi-bound states associated with each individual resonance and compute the scattering wave functions. The differential cross sections contain the partial wave fingerprints of the scattering process and are found to change drastically as the collision energy is varied over the resonances. The prospects for measuring these differential cross sections in inelastic de-excitation collisions at low energies are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Radboud University , Institute for Molecules and Materials, Heijendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jolijn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Onvlee
authors.affiliation: Radboud University , Institute for Molecules and Materials, Heijendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ad van der
authors.initials: Av
authors.lastname: Avoird
authors.affiliation: Radboud University , Institute for Molecules and Materials, Heijendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gerrit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Groenenboom
authors.affiliation: Radboud University , Institute for Molecules and Materials, Heijendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sebastiaan Y T
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: van de Meerakker