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Science 12 December 2003:
Vol. 302. no. 5652, pp. 1940 - 1943
DOI: 10.1126/science.1090679
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Reports

Subkelvin Cooling NO Molecules via "Billiard-like" Collisions with Argon

Michael S. Elioff,1 James J. Valentini,2 David W. Chandler1

We report the cooling of nitric oxide using a single collision between an argon atom and a molecule of NO. We have produced significant numbers (108 to 109 molecules per cubic centimeter per quantum state) of translationally cold NO molecules in a specific quantum state with an upper-limit root mean square laboratory velocity of 15 plus or minus 1 meters per second, corresponding to a 406 plus or minus 23 millikelvin upper limit of temperature, in a crossed molecular beam apparatus. The technique, which relies on a kinematic collapse of the velocity distributions of the molecular beams for the scattering events that produce cold molecules, is general and independent of the energy of the colliding partner.

1 Combustion Research Facility, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA 94550, USA.
2 Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Optical Pumping and Vibrational Cooling of Molecules.
M. Viteau, A. Chotia, M. Allegrini, N. Bouloufa, O. Dulieu, D. Comparat, and P. Pillet (2008)
Science 321, 232-234
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