Publication at Faculty of Mathematics and Physics |
2020
Abstract
Ultracold collisions of LiO molecules in the (2)Pi(3/2) ground state are considered, under the influence of either an external magnetic or electric field. Inelastic collisions are shown to be suppressed in the presence of modest laboratory-strength magnetic and electric fields.
The rate of elastic collisions that rethermalize the thermal distribution and the corresponding low rate of heating state-changing collisions suggest that quantum degeneracy or even molecular Bose-Einstein condensation of LiO gas may be attainable, provided that the initial temperatures in the millikelvin range are achievable.