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arXiv:2307.01235 · Journal of Physics Communications

A generalized scattering theory in quantum mechanics

Huai‐Yu Wang

Published Jun 13, 2023• 5 citations

Abstract

Abstract In quantum mechanics textbooks, a single-particle scattering theory is introduced. In the present work, a generalized scattering theory is presented, which can be in principle applied to the scattering problems of arbitrary number of particle. In laboratory frame, a generalized Lippmann-Schwinger scattering equation is derived. We emphasized that the derivation is rigorous, even for treating infinitesimals. No manual operation such as analytical continuation is allowed. In the case that before scattering N particles are plane waves and after the scattering they are new plane waves, the transition amplitude and transition probability are given and the generalized S matrix is presented. It is proved that the transition probability from a set of plane waves to a new set of plane waves of the N particles equal to that of the reciprocal process. The generalized theory is applied to the cases of one- and two-particle scattering as two examples. When applied to single-particle scattering problems, our generalized formalism degrades to that usually seen in the literature. When our generalized theory is applied to two-particle scattering problems, the formula of the transition probability of two-particle collision is given. It is shown that the transition probability of the scattering of two free particles is identical to that of the reciprocal process. This transition probability and the identity are needed in deriving Boltzmann transport equation in statistical mechanics. The case of identical particles is also discussed.

DOI: 10.1088/2399-6528/acde44

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Derivations are given for some transition and resolvent operator equations for multichannel quantum scattering with short-range potentials. The basic difference between these and previous equations is that the unknown operators act only on the channel subspaces. This is made possible by utilizing, and extending, the two-Hilbert-space formulation previously given by the authors [in J. Math. Phys. 14, 1328 (1973)]. The equations in abstract form are of the Lippmann–Schwinger type, differing only in the appearance of certain injection operators from one Hilbert space to the other. When applied to multichannel quantum scattering, the abstract theory yields a new system of equations for the transition and resolvent operators. Uniqueness of the solution to the equations is proved.

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