Cold Hydroxyl Radicals

With the goal of studying hydroxyl radicals in the ultracold regime typically attained with alkali atoms, we are pursuing evaporative cooling of a 50 mK trapped sample decelerated from a molecular beam. Along the way we have identified and mitigated an unusual trap loss process relating to the internal dynamics of the molecules in external electric and magnetic fields. We are also working at the forefront of molecular beam technology in order to maximize the initial density of the trapped sample for successful evaporation, and we hope to bring a new system online at the end of this year.