Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 7, 2026

Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters
Published on: January 9, 2014
Giant Cross Section for Molecular Ion Formation in Ultracold Rydberg Gases
Thomas Niederprüm1, Oliver Thomas1,2, Torsten Manthey1
1Research Center OPTIMAS, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Abstract:
We have studied the associative ionization of a Rydberg atom and a ground-state atom in an ultracold Rydberg gas. The measured scattering cross section is 3 orders of magnitude larger than the geometrical size of the produced molecule. This giant enhancement of the reaction kinetics is due to an efficient directed mass transport which is accelerated by the Rydberg electron. We also find that the total inelastic scattering cross section is given by the geometrical size of the Rydberg electron's wave function.
Related Concept Videos
High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS)
Formation of Complex Ions
Chemical Ionization (CI) Mass Spectrometry
Mass Analyzers: Common Types
Molecular Orbital Theory II
UV–Vis Spectroscopy: Molecular Electronic Transitions

