The problem of discontinuous functions and their representations in the form of Legendre polynomial series in quantum nuclear scattering theory is presented briefly. The problem is quite old yet not adequately explained in numerous Quantum Theory textbooks and sometimes not correctly understood by physicists. Introduction of the generalized functions into the quantum scattering theory clarifies the problem and allows to propose new interpretations of nuclear elastic scattering phenomenon. The derived new forms of the full elastic scattering amplitudes and possibility of splitting them suggest existence of dynamical quantum diffraction grating around the nuclei. Particularly important fact is that this grating existing in the space around the nucleus makes considerable contribution to the experimental elastic differential cross-section. All these might be quite important in analyses of nuclear elastic scattering data and so require to be stated in a more detailed and clear way.
The problem of discontinuous functions and their representations in the form of Legendre polynomial series in quantum nuclear scattering theory is presented briefly. The problem is quite old yet not adequately explained in numerous Quantum Theory textbooks and sometimes not correctly understood by physicists. Introduction of the generalized functions into the quantum scattering theory clarifies the problem and allows to propose new interpretations of nuclear elastic scattering phenomenon. The derived new forms of the full elastic scattering amplitudes and possibility of splitting them suggest existence of dynamical quantum diffraction grating around the nuclei. Particularly important fact is that this grating existing in the space around the nucleus makes considerable contribution to the experimental elastic differential cross-section. All these might be quite important in analyses of nuclear elastic scattering data and so require to be stated in a more detailed and clear way.
Chapter 18 is entirely devoted to the quantum theory of scattering, which is normally covered in more detail in a course on quantum field theory. We introduce the main concepts, including scattering amplitude, differential and total cross sections, and form factors, and derive the main formulas for elastic scattering, in a nonrelativistic framework; this allows us to appreciate how the information obtained from scattering experiments is used to explore the intricacies of quantum particles that are otherwise inaccessible. The Born approximation is studied and applied to scattering by a periodic potential, a weak potential, and Rutherford scattering. The partial wave expansion is derived and applied to obtain the optical theorem. The chapter concludes with a complementary section on resonant scattering.
Most of our knowledge about the structure of matter and interaction between particles is derived from scattering experiments. From a theoretical point of view, scattering problems are concerned with the continuous (and positive) energy eigenvalues and unbound eigenfunctions of the Schro¨dinger equation. We have already encountered one-dimensional examples of scattering in Chapter 4, in the discussion of reflection and transmission of an incident particle with definite momentum from a potential step or barrier. In this chapter we consider scattering from a more formal point of view. We will confine our discussion to elastic scattering (scattering without loss or gain of energy by the projectile) from central potentials although many of the concepts and results are applicable to inelastic scattering.
Non-relativistic quantum scattering theory informs our broad understanding of nuclear collision processes. However, detailed theoretical insights into the dynamics of fusion, whereby the colliding nuclei form a compound nucleus, remain elusive with conventional approaches. Fundamentally, understanding the complex dissipative processes inherent to compound nucleus formation and when they occur during the collision remains challenging. This, for example, prevents a consistent description of heavy-ion fusion over a wide range of collision energies and hinders searches for new super-heavy elements. To understand these dynamics, we need time-dependent approaches to nuclear collisions. In this thesis, a non-relativistic, time-dependent wave packet theory for potential scattering of charged quantum particles (such as nuclei) has been developed. It formally extends the application of Tannor and Weeks's (1993) formulation of the scattering matrix theory to systems containing the long-range Coulomb potential, by utilising Dollard's (1964) Møller operators. Using the asymptotic localisation of wave packets, analytical theorems have been formulated that allow convenient numerical application of this method. Numerical tests illustrating the theory mark the first rigorous application of this method in nuclear physics. Further insights are gained through a novel analysis of the wave packet time-correlation function (which underlies the theory) to understand how different dynamical processes, such as the formation of long-lived, quasi-bound states, during scattering contribute to the scattering matrix. This provides guidance on using the time-correlation function to obtain fusion observables, along with the associated challenges. Furthermore, this analysis showed that time-correlation functions can be obtained from static calculations, opening numerous new possibilities for studying the dynamics of nuclear reactions, in general, using this approach. This work opens new avenues for studying the dynamics of compound nucleus formation and other dissipative processes in nuclear reactions.
The spectroscopy of metastable states is used to make the first experimental measurement of the total differential elastic-scattering cross sections of metastable helium atoms in 2 3 S and 2 1 S states by sodium atoms in the ground state at interaction energy 68 meV in the center-of-mass system. To analyze the experimental data, the partial scattering phases are calculated using the method of phase functions in the optical potential approximation. The analysis makes it possible to give a more detailed interpretation of the structure of the differential cross section. The computed integral cross sections, specifically, Penning ionization, diffusion, viscosity, and spin exchange are discussed.
It is well known that the scattering matrix plays an important role in quantum optics. This matrix converts the incoming characteristics of scattered radiation into output characteristics. Currently, only special cases of such a scattering matrix are known, which are determined by a specific problem. In this work, a general form of the scattering matrix is obtained, which can be applied to a wide range of problems. It is shown that previously well-known and widely used scattering matrices can be obtained from the resulting scattering matrix. The results obtained can be used to describe new quantum states, the scattering matrices of which have not yet been studied.
In this article, we introduce a universal simulation framework covering all regimes of matter-wave light-pulse elastic scattering. Applied to atom interferometry as a study case, this simulator solves the atom-light diffraction problem in the elastic case, i.e., when the internal state of the atoms remains unchanged. Taking this perspective, the light-pulse beam splitting is interpreted as a space and time-dependent external potential. In a shift from the usual approach based on a system of momentum-space ordinary differential equations, our position-space treatment is flexible and scales favourably for realistic cases where the light fields have an arbitrary complex spatial behaviour rather than being mere plane waves. Moreover, the solver architecture we developed is effortlessly extended to the problem class of trapped and interacting geometries, which has no simple formulation in the usual framework of momentum-space ordinary differential equations. We check the validity of our model by revisiting several case studies relevant to the precision atom interferometry community. We retrieve analytical solutions when they exist and extend the analysis to more complex parameter ranges in a cross-regime fashion. The flexibility of the approach, the insight it gives, its numerical scalability and accuracy make it an exquisite tool to design, understand and quantitatively analyse metrology-oriented matter-wave interferometry experiments.