Three-body recombination of cold helium atoms

Abstract

We have developed a method for calculating the rates for three-body recombination of cold atoms. This method allows us to treat not only zero total angular momentum, $J=0,$ states but also $J>0$ states, so that recombinations at nonzero collision energies can be considered. Our method is applied to ground-state helium atoms ${}^{4}\mathrm{He},$ using a realistic interaction potential. In addition, we obtain the rates for collision induced dissociation.