Studies of trapped, cooled ion ensembles [Elektronische Ressource] / vorgelegt von David Offenberg

Studies of trapped, cooled ion ensemblesInaugural-Dissertationzur Erlangung des Doktorgradesder Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultätder Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorfvorgelegt vonDavid Offenbergaus LeverkusenDüsseldorf, Oktober 2009Aus dem Institut für Experimentalphysikder Heinrich-Heine-Universität DüsseldorfGedruckt mit der Genehmigungder Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultätder Heinrich-Heine-Universität DüsseldorfReferent: :::::: Prof. S. Schiller, Ph.D.Koreferent::::: Prof. Dr. R. WeinkaufTag der mündlichen Prüfung::::::16.12.2009AbstractThis work presents various novel results in the field of experimental and theoretical trapped138 +ion studies. All investigations involve laser-cooled Ba ions confined in a linear quadru-pole ion trap, which serve as coolant for complex molecular ions, as target for collisionswith neutral atoms, or as model system in theoretical analyses.The special feature of the apparatus used in this work is a molecular ion source based onelectrospray ionization that allows for the production of gas-phase molecular ions of almostany species with a maximum mass-to-charge ratio of 2,000 Da. Trapped together with laser-138 +cooled Ba ions, the molecular ions can be cooled down, kept cold and investigated formany minutes, and in principle for hours, in a nearly collisionless environment.