Can Nitric Oxide be Evaporatively Cooled in its Ground State?

TL;DR

This study investigates the feasibility of evaporative cooling of ground-state nitric oxide molecules by analyzing their collision dynamics under electric and magnetic fields, revealing conditions where elastic collisions dominate.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed analysis of cold collision rates of nitric oxide molecules in the ground state under external fields, identifying conditions for effective evaporative cooling.

Findings

Elastic collision rates exceed inelastic rates above 0.5 K

Large electric fields (>10^4 V/cm) can suppress inelastic collisions

Magnetic fields have negligible effect on scattering in this state

Abstract

Cold collisions of $^{14}$N$^{16}$O molecules in the $^{2}\Pi_{1/2}$ ground state, subject to electric and magnetic fields, are investigated. It is found that elastic collision rates significantly exceed state-changing inelastic rates only at temperatures above 0.5 K at laboratory strength fields. It is found, however, that in very large fields $> 10^{4}$ V/cm, inelastic rates can be somewhat suppressed. Magnetic fields have negligible influence on scattering for this nearly non-magnetic state.