Rotationally cold (> 99% J = 0) OH − molecular ions in a cryogenic storage ring

We store a 10 keV OH− ion-beam at 13.5 ± 0.5 K in one of the DESIREE storage rings. Using photodetachment thermometry we measure the effective relative photodetachment cross section at different storage times and determine the rotational temperature of the ions to be 13.4 ± 0.2 K in agreement with the macroscopic temperature. A model cross section in the threshold range taking into account the formation of excited neutral OH molecules is calculated as a function of rotational temperature in order to justify the use of the rotational thermometry method developed earlier by the group of Roland Wester at Innsbruck University in the present case. In addition, we apply a selective photodetachment technique to produce an ion beam with more than 99% of the ions in the rotational ground state. The intrinsic lifetime of the J = 1 rotational level is measured to be 145 ± 28 s.