  We have performed release-recapture temperature measurements of laser-cooled
Rb-85 atoms using an optical nanofibre (ONF) in a magneto-optical trap (MOT).
The effects of changing the cooling laser light-shift parameter on the
temperature of the cold atoms and spring constant of the trap are studied. By
varying the cold atom number density near the ONF, the onset of the multiple
scattering regime is observed without the need for an estimation of the atom
cloud size. Moreover, this sensitive ONF assisted release-recapture technique
is easily able to detect any optical misalignment of the cooling laser beams in
the MOT.
