A study of n changing, l changing and ionisation in collisions of Xe(nf) Rydberg atoms with HF

Abstract

Thermal collisions between Xe(nf) Rydberg atoms and HF molecules have been investigated. The highly excited collision products were detected using selective field ionisation (SFI). Both n-changing and l-changing collisions were identified and the absolute rate constants for these processes, and for collisional ionisation, have been measured for n=26, 27. In addition, the first evidence of molecular rotational excitation through the transfer of energy of electronic excitation from a Rydberg atom is presented.