Collisional dynamics of ultracold OH molecules in an electrostatic field

Ultracold collisions of polar OH molecules are considered in the presence of an electrostatic field. The field exerts a strong influence on both elastic and state-changing inelastic collision rate constants, leading to clear experimental signatures that should help disentangle the theory of cold molecule collisions. Based on the collision rates, we discuss the prospects for evaporative cooling of electrostatically trapped OH. We also find that the scattering properties at ultralow temperatures prove to be remarkably independent of the details of the short-range interaction, owing to avoided crossings in the long-range adiabatic potential curves. The behavior of the scattering rate constants is qualitatively understood in terms of a novel set of long-range states of the [OH]₂ dimer.