Recombination of Three Ultracold Fermionic Atoms

Abstract

Three-body recombination of identical, spin-polarized fermionic atoms in the ultracold limit is investigated using model interactions. The mechanisms for recombination are parametrized by the "scattering volume" V(p) and described in the framework of the adiabatic hyperspherical representation. We have calculated the recombination rate K3 as a function of V(p) and have found K3 proportional, variant |V(p)|(8/3) for small |V(p)|. Recombination near a two-body Feshbach resonance can thus be significant.