Detailed study of polarization effects on the Associative Ionization in Na (3p) - Na (3p) collisions

Aim of this study is twofold: first, we want to produce many accurate and mutually consistent data on the little process, so that comparison with theory is meaningful; second, we want to demonstrate a complete experiment, in the sense that in the given geometry of the experiment the maximum amount of information becomes available. In order to achieve these goals, a highly automatized apparatus has been developed, in which many checks have been incorporated, especially concerning the laser and atomic polarization, and the laser intensity. To describe the experimental results, we use the theoretical analysis of Nienhuis [5], which formulates the experimental results in terms of atomic states, i.e. as a function of the initially prepared situation. No assumptions are made yet about the transition from atomic to molecular states.