Production of cold formaldehyde molecules for study and control of chemical reaction dynamics with hydroxyl radicals

Eric R. Hudson, Christopher Ticknor, Brian C. Sawyer, Craig A. Taatjes, H. J. Lewandowski, J. R. Bochinski, J. L. Bohn, and Jun Ye

Phys. Rev. A 73, 063404 – Published 6 June 2006

Abstract

We propose a method for controlling a class of low temperature chemical reactions. Specifically, we show the hydrogen abstraction channel in the reaction of formaldehyde $(H_{2} CO)$ and the hydroxyl radical $(OH)$ can be controlled through either the molecular state or an external electric field. We also outline experiments for investigating and demonstrating control over this important reaction. To this end, we report the first Stark deceleration of $H_{2} CO$ . We have decelerated a molecular beam of $H_{2} CO$ essentially to rest, producing molecules at $100 mK$ with a density of $\sim 10^{6} {cm}^{- 3}$ .

Received 17 August 2005

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.73.063404

Authors & Affiliations

Eric R. Hudson^*, Christopher Ticknor, Brian C. Sawyer, Craig A. Taatjes^†, H. J. Lewandowski, J. R. Bochinski^‡, J. L. Bohn, and Jun Ye^§

JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0440, USA

^*Electronic address: eric.hudson@Colorado.edu
^†Permanent address: JILA VF Combustion Research Facility, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA 94551-0969.
^‡Present address: Department of Physics, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695.
^§Electronic address: ye@jila.colorado.edu

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Vol. 73, Iss. 6 — June 2006

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