Abstract：An experimental study of rubidium energy pooling collisions, Rb(5PJ)+Rb(5PJ)→Rb(nlJ′)+Rb(5S), at thermal energies, was carried out in a cell. Atoms were excited to either the 5P1/2 or 5P3/2 state using a single-mode diode laser. The excited atom density and spatial distribution were mapped by monitoring the absorption of a counter-propagating single-mode diode laser beam, tuned to either 5P1/2→5D3/2 or 5P3/2→7S1/2 transition, which could be translated parallel to the pump beam. The excited atom densities were combined with the measured fluorescence ratios to determine cross sections for the rubidium energy pooling process. For 5P3/2 excitation the cross sections for nlJ′ being 5D5/2, 5D3/2, and 7S1/2 are (1.32±0.59)×10-14, (1.18±0.53)×10-14 and (3.21±1.44)×10-15 cm2, respectively. For 5P1/2 excitation the cross sections for nlJ′ being 5D5/2 and 5D3/2 are (6.57±2.96)×10-15, and (5.90±2.66)×10-15 cm2, respectively. The results were compared with those of other experiments.
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