



01322nas a2200169   4500008004100000245007000041210006900111260001400180490000700194520079400201100002300995700002301018700002601041700001901067700002301086856004301109       2003                        eng d00aUltracold collision properties of metastable alkaline-earth atoms0 aUltracold collision properties of metastable alkalineearth atoms  c2003/2/130 v903 a  Ultra-cold collisions of spin-polarized 24Mg,40Ca, and 88Sr in the metastable
3P2 excited state are investigated. We calculate the long-range interaction
potentials and estimate the scattering length and the collisional loss rate as
a function of magnetic field. The estimates are based on molecular potentials
between 3P2 alkaline-earth atoms obtained from ab initio atomic and molecular
structure calculations. The scattering lengths show resonance behavior due to
the appearance of a molecular bound state in a purely long-range interaction
potential and are positive for magnetic fields below 50 mT. A loss-rate model
shows that losses should be smallest near zero magnetic field and for fields
slightly larger than the resonance field, where the scattering length is also
positive.
1 aDerevianko, Andrei1 aPorsev, Sergey, G.1 aKotochigova, Svetlana1 aTiesinga, Eite1 aJulienne, Paul, S.  uhttp://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0210076v1