Spin-polarized Deuterium Research Articles

Spin-Polarized Atomic Deuterium: Stabilization, Limitations on Density, and Adsorption Energy on Helium

Current limitations on the density of stabilized spin-polarized deuterium (D\ensuremath{\downarrow}) to \ensuremath{\sim} ${10}^{14}$ atoms/${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$ are shown to arise from condensation on the $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ surface and subsequent recombination. A new technique for measuring the adsorption energy is employed to provide the first such measurement for D\ensuremath{\downarrow} on helium, yielding $\frac{{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{a}}{{k}_{B}}=2.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.4$ K.