Exotic behavior of hydrogen atoms in solid H2 at temperatures below 1 K. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • We present the first magnetic resonance study of atomic hydrogen embedded in solid H2 films for temperatures 150-900 mK. We found that at T approximately 150 mK average concentrations of H atoms of order 10(18 cm(-3) are very stable against recombination during two weeks of observations. The distribution of the population of the two lowest hyperfine states is found to be non-Boltzmann, with a very large occupation of the ground state. We consider the possibility of formation in solid H2 of regions with high local concentrations of H atoms, where collective quantum phenomena might occur.

published proceedings

  • Phys Rev Lett

author list (cited authors)

  • Ahokas, J., Jrvinen, J., Khmelenko, V. V., Lee, D. M., & Vasiliev, S.

citation count

  • 26

complete list of authors

  • Ahokas, J||Järvinen, J||Khmelenko, VV||Lee, DM||Vasiliev, S

publication date

  • September 2006