Recombinative dissociation and the evolution of a molecular ultracold plasma

Abstract

We present a kinetic model based on coupled rate-equation simulations that accounts for state-detailed rate processes in the evolution of a molecular Rydberg gas to plasma. Calculations support a steady-state picture of Rydberg predissociation and its contribution to plasma dissipation. Inelastic collisions of electrons with Rydberg states efficiently transfer energy from and to the thermal bath of free electrons, giving rise to quasi equilibria of relatively high temperature. Dissipative effects that remove low-n population change the time course of this heating. Including statistically sampled channels of Rydberg predissociation with n- and ℓ-dependent lifetimes slows the relaxation to quasi equilibrium and retards the initial electron temperature increase. At later times, the dissociative loss of low-n population displaces this quasi equilibrium leading to continuous electron heating. Dissociation products appear at a rate that is controlled initially by the rate of Rydberg relaxation to quasi equilibrium. Thereafter, the overall rate at which the total dissociation consumes neutral molecules determines the decay rate for all levels. Simulations predict a total predissociation rate that is smaller than the initial rate of direct electron–ion dissociative recombination. At later times, residual predissociation displays an apparent first-order decay with a rate constant that fits well with experimental observations.