Atomic Physics and Related Subjects.: Communications to Nature.: Scattering of α-Particles by Light Atoms

G. BECK

P. M. S. Blackett, F. C. Champion

Abstract 1. Gordon has proved that the scattering of particles by an inverse square field is the same on the wave mechanics as on the classical theory. Mott has however shown, from consideration of the symmetry of the wave functions, that the scattering is quite different from the classical when the scattering and scattered particles are identical. The scattering of alpha particles by helium is typical of the case of the collision of identical particles that have no pin and obey the Einstein-Bose statistics. For this case, the expression given by Mott for the number of alpha particles scattered between angles θ, and θ +dθ, in going a distance dr in a gas containing n atoms per unit volume, is N dθ dr = 4πnN0e4/m2v4 {cosec4 θ + sec4 θ + 2 cosec2 θ sec2 θ cos u} dθ dr, (1) where u = 8/137 c/v log cot θ, (2) and N0 is the total number of incident particles, v, m and e, their initial velocity, mass and charge and c the velocity of light.

U. Eichmann, Jonas Bergquist, J. J. Bollinger +1 more

We report the first observation of interference in the light scattered from two trapped atoms ({sup 198}Hg{sup +} ions localized in a linear Paul trap). The visibility of the interference fringes can be explained in the frame-work of Bragg scattering by a harmonic crystal, but with important differences compared to the case of a large crystal. Comparison of the experimental data with theory shows that the interference pattern offers another method to determine ion temperatures and separations. Furthermore, by exploiting the atom`s internal structure we have found a way to obtain {open_quotes}which path{close_quotes} information without invoking the position-momentum uncertainty relation. If the light scattered by the atoms is detected in a polarization-sensitive way, then it is possible to selectively demonstrate either the particle-nature or the wave-nature of the scattered photons.

A. O. Barut

D. I. Blokhint︠s︡ev