Inelastic scattering of light and transitions of colliding atoms to bound molecular states

A study is made of the influence of photon absorption (emission) processes on the dynamics of collisions between two atoms. Under certain conditions the radiation field can transfer colliding atoms to a bound molecular state. The main contribution to these processes is made by atoms colliding with relative velocities and impact parameters which ensure that these atoms spend a long time near each other (quasifmite motion). The appearance of quasifmite states in the absorption spectra of Rb and Cs vapors is reported and a determination is described of the matrix elements of the transitions from these states to a bound molecular state.