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arXiv · 0802.1662

Magnetic trapping of atomic nitrogen (14^N) and cotrapping of NH (X-triplet-Sigma-)

Matthew T. Hummon·Wesley C. Campbell·Hsin-I Lu·Edem Tsikata·Yihua Wang·John M. Doyle
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Abstract

We observe magnetic trapping of atomic nitrogen (14^N) and cotrapping of ground state imidogen (14^NH, X-triplet-Sigma-). Both are loaded directly from a room temperature beam via buffer gas cooling. We trap approximately 1 * 10^11 14^N atoms at a peak density of 5 * 10^11 cm^-3 at 550 mK. The 12 +5/-3 s 1/e lifetime of atomic nitrogen in the trap is limited by elastic collisions with the helium buffer gas. Cotrapping of 14^N and 14^NH is accomplished, with 10^8 NH trapped molecules at a peak density of 10^8 cm^-3. We observe no spin relaxation of nitrogen in collisions with helium.

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Matthew T. Hummon, Wesley C. Campbell, Hsin-I Lu, Edem Tsikata, Yihua Wang, John M. Doyle. 2008-02-12. Magnetic trapping of atomic nitrogen (14^N) and cotrapping of NH (X-triplet-Sigma-). https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.78.050702

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