Abstract
We have calculated cross sections and rate coefficients for elastic scattering, ionization, and double excitation transfer in collision of two hydrogen atoms in the 2s state. We find that for collision energies between 5 × 10-10 a.u. and 10-6 a.u. elastic scattering has the largest cross section. For temperatures below 0.02 K ionization is the dominant loss process, while for higher temperatures double excitation transfer dominates. Our results for the total loss rate are found to be within a factor 2 or 3 of the error bars of recent measurements.
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