Obtaining Atomic Matrix Elements from Vector Tune-Out Wavelengths using Atom Interferometry

Accurate values for atomic dipole matrix elements are useful in many areas of physics, and in particular for interpreting experiments such as atomic parity violation. Obtaining accurate matrix element values is a challenge for both experiment and theory. A new technique that can be applied to this problem is tune-out spectroscopy, which is the measurement of light wavelengths where the electric polarizability of an atom has a zero. Using atom interferometry methods, tune-out wavelengths can be measured very accurately. Their values depend on the ratios of various dipole matrix elements and are thus useful for constraining theory and broadening the application of experimental values. Tune-out wavelength measurements to date have focused on zeros of the scalar polarizability, but in general the vector polarizability also contributes. We show here that combined measurements of the vector and scalar polarizabilities can provide more detailed information about the matrix element ratios, and in particular can distinguish small contributions from the atomic core and the valence tail states. These small contributions are the leading error sources in current parity violation calculations for cesium.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure

Optical detection of a BCS phase transition in a trapped gas of fermionic atoms

Light scattering from a spin-polarized degenerate Fermi gas of trapped ultracold Li-6 atoms is studied. We find that the scattered light contains information which directly reflects the quantum pair correlation due to the formation of atomic Cooper pairs resulting from a BCS phase transition to a superfluid state. Evidence for pairing can be observed in both the space and time domains.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, revte

Vacuum Pressure Measurements using a Magneto-Optical Trap

The loading dynamics of an alkali-atom magneto-optical trap can be used as a reliable measure of vacuum pressure, with loading time T indicating a pressure less than or equal to [2x10^(-8) Torr s]/T. This relation is accurate to approximately a factor of two over wide variations in trap parameters, background gas composition, or trapped alkali species. The low-pressure limit of the method does depend on the trap parameters, but typically extends to the 10^(-10) Torr range.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Growth and Collapse of a Bose Condensate with Attractive Interactions

We consider the dynamics of a quantum degenerate trapped gas of Li-7 atoms. Because the atoms have a negative s-wave scattering length, a Bose condensate of Li-7 becomes mechanically unstable when the number of condensate atoms approaches a maximum value. We calculate the dynamics of the collapse that occurs when the unstable point is reached. In addition, we use the quantum Boltzmann equation to investigate the nonequilibrium kinetics of the atomic distribution during and after evaporative cooling. The condensate is found to undergo many cycles of growth and collapse before a stationary state is reached.Comment: Four pages of ReVTeX with four postscript figure

The Distribution of Dark Matter in a Ringed Galaxy

Outer rings are located at the greatest distance from the galaxy center of any feature resonant with a bar. Because of their large scale, their morphology is sensitive to the distribution of the dark matter in the galaxy. We introduce here how study of these rings can constrain the mass-to-light ratio of the bar, and so the percentage of dark matter in the center of these galaxies. We compare periodic orbits integrated in the ringed galaxy NGC 6782 near the outer Lindblad resonance to the shape of the outer ring. The non-axisymmetric component of the potential resulting from the bar is derived from a near-infrared image of the galaxy. The axisymmetric component is derived assuming a flat rotation curve. We find that the pinched non-self-intersecting periodic orbits are more elongated for higher bar mass-to-light ratios and faster bars. The inferred mass-to-light ratio of the bar depends on the assumed inclination of the galaxy. With an assumed galaxy inclination of i=41 degrees, for the orbits to be consistent with the observed ring morphology the mass-to-light ratio of the bar must be high, greater than 70% of a maximal disk value. For i=45 degrees, the mass-to-light ratio of the bar is $75\pm 15$ of the maximal disk value. Since the velocity field of these rings can be used to constrain the galaxy inclination as well as which periodic orbit is represented in the ring, further study will yield tighter constraints on the mass-to-light ratio of the bar. If a near maximal disk value for the bar is required, then either there would be little dark matter within the bar, or the dark matter contained in the disk of the galaxy would be non-axisymmetric and would rotate with the bar.Comment: AAS Latex + jpg Figures, Accepted for publication in Ap