Density effects on high-n molecular Rydberg states: CH3I and C6H6 in H2 and Ar

Abstract

The absorption spectra of high-n Rydberg states of methyl iodide and benzene perturbed by varying number densities of hydrogen or argon, range 0.9×1020–10.5×1020 cm−3 for H2 and 0.6×1020–7.5×1020 cm−3 for Ar, have been investigated. The high-n molecular states of both absorbers were found to shift linearly with the number density of atomic Ar and molecular H2 scatterers. The Fermi formula modified by the Alekseev–Sobel’man polarization term provides an excellent fit of the shift data. The electron scattering lengths obtained are: 0.93 a0 for H2 and −1.63 a0 for Ar using the CH3I absorber; and 0.99 a0 for H2 and −1.57 a0 for Ar using the C6H6 absorber. The electron scattering lengths for H2 and Ar agree with the results of an empirical model that correlates scattering lengths and the polarizabilities α(spherical) for inert atoms and α2(nonspherical) for H2 molecule.