Depolarization of Ne*(2p$_{i}$ [J=1]) atoms induced by collisions with He(1s$^{2}$) at 10 K $<$ T $<$ 3,000 K

Depolarization mechanisms of Ne$^{\ast }$(2p$^{5}$ 3p; 2p$_{i}$ [J=1]) atoms induced by collisions with helium in a gas mixture at thermal equilibrium are analyzed using a close-coupling quantum method within a model potential approach [1]. Our goal is to explain measurements of alignment destruction (which is a mechamism that includes the disalignment and the depopulation of atoms) [2], disorientation [3], and disalignment [4] of Ne$^{\ast }$(2p$_{i }$[J = 1]) atoms induced by He-Ne collisions at 10 K $<$ T $<$ 3,000 K using the density matrix formalism. Such analysis offers accurate information about anisotropic atom-atom potentials and improves our model potential for the HeNe$^{\ast }$(2p$^{5 }$3p) system [1] by adding the polarizability of Ne$^{\ast }$ atoms on various 2p$_{i}$ states to the long-range potentials. Our results for neon excited on the 2p$_{2}$, 2p$_{5}$, 2p$_{7}$ and 2p$_{10}$ states are reported, and excellent agreement with available measurements [2, 3, 4] is found. Also the atomic polarizabilities for Ne$^{\ast }$on 2p$_{2}$, 2p$_{5}$, 2p$_{7}$ and 2p$_{10}$ states are reported. [1] Bahrim C, Kucal H and Masnou-Seeuws F 1997 \textit{Phys. Rev. A} \textbf{56} 1305. [2] Carrington C G and Corney A 1971 \textit{J. Phys. B }\textbf{4} 869. [3] Seo M, Shimamura T, Furatani T, Hasuo M, Bahrim C and Fujimoto T 2003 \textit{J. Phys. B }\textbf{36} 1885. [4] Nimura M, Hasuo M and Fujimoto T 2004\textit{ J. Phys. B. }\textbf{37} 4647.