Alkali-Alkali Differential Spin-Exchange Scattering. II

Abstract

We analyze the data on differential spin-exchange scattering in collisions between alkali atoms which was presented in Paper I by Pritchard, Carter, Chu, and Kleppner. The data on the probability of exchange is analyzed to obtain the relative phase shift produced by the triplet and singlet potentials. A semiclassical impact approximation is developed and used to calculate this phase shift from theoretical calculations of the asymptotic behavior of the potentials. The results are consistent with the data only when the largest calculated value for the van der Waals potential is combined with the smallest calculated value of the difference potential. We have also analyzed the rainbow structure in the spin-summed differential cross section to obtain information about the depth and shape of the minimum in the triplet potentials in various alkali-alkali systems. Finally, we compare the result of our analysis with results from other experiments on alkali-alkali systems.