A Maxwell demon to cool atoms

As usual methods to cool gases down to a temperature close to the absolute zero are only efficient for some species, a combination of two techniques is used to cool almost all atoms, and even some molecules. An inverted magnetic rail gun first slows down atoms. Cooling is then carried on by means of a technique inspired by the 'Maxwell demon' imagined in 1780. Applications under investigation are ranging from the study of elementary particle properties to isotope separation