Theoretical study of atomic processes and dynamics in ultracold plasmas

Rydberg atoms;Ultracold plasmas;Simulation;Collision;Molecular dynamics;Monte Carlo method

Balaraman, Gouthaman S. ; Physics

University:Georgia Institute of Technology

Department:Physics

关键词: Rydberg atoms;    Ultracold plasmas;    Simulation;    Collision;    Molecular dynamics;    Monte Carlo method;   

Others  :  https://smartech.gatech.edu/bitstream/1853/26522/1/balaraman_gouthaman_s_200812_phd.pdf

美国|英语

来源: SMARTech Repository

【 摘 要 】

In the last decade, ultracold plasmas have been created in the laboratory by photo-ionizing laser-cooled atoms. To understand the overall dynamics of ultracold plasmas, one needs to understand Rydberg collisional processes at ultracold temperatures. The two kinds of problems addressed in this thesis are: study of Rydberg atomic processes at ultracold temperatures, and a study of the overall dynamics of the ultracold plasmas. Theoretical methods based on quantal-classical correspondence is used to understand Rydberg atomic processes such as radiative cascade, and radiative recombination. A simulation method suitable for ultracold collisions is developed and tested. This method is then applied to study collisional-Stark mixing in Rydberg atoms. To study the dynamics of the ultracold plasmas, a King model for the electrons in plasmas is proposed. The King model is a stationary, finite sized electron distribution for the electrons in a cloud of fixed ions with a Gaussian distribution. A Monte-Carlo method is developed to simulate the overall dynamics of the King distribution.