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Physica Scripta

Plane Wave and Coulomb Asymptotics

P.G. Mulligan, Derrick S. F. Crothers

Published Jan 1, 2004• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

A simple plane wave solution of the Schrödinger–Helmholtz equation is a quantum eigenfunction obeying both energy and linear momentum correspondence principles. Inclusion of the outgoing wave with scattering amplitude f obeys unitarity and the optical theorem. By closely considering the standard asymptotic development of the plane wave, we show that there is a problem with angular momentum when we consider forward scattering at the point of closest approach and at large impact parameter given semiclassically by ( l + 1/2)/ k where l is the azimuthal quantum number and may be large (J Leech et al , Phys. Rev. Lett. 88 257901 (2002)). The problem is resolved via non-uniform, non-standard analysis involving the Heaviside step function, unifying classical, semiclassical and quantum mechanics, and the treatment is extended to the case of pure Coulomb scattering.

DOI
10.1088/0031-8949/70/1/004

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A simple plane wave solution of the Schrödinger–Helmholtz equation is a quantum eigenfunction obeying both energy and linear momentum correspondence principles. Inclusion of the outgoing wave with scattering amplitude f obeys unitarity and the optical theorem. By closely considering the standard asymptotic development of the plane wave, we show that there is a problem with angular momentum when we consider forward scattering at the point of closest approach and at large impact parameter given semiclassically by ( l + 1/2)/ k where l is the azimuthal quantum number and may be large (J Leech et al , Phys. Rev. Lett. 88 257901 (2002)). The problem is resolved via non-uniform, non-standard analysis involving the Heaviside step function, unifying classical, semiclassical and quantum mechanics, and the treatment is extended to the case of pure Coulomb scattering.
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We treat the nonrelativistic quantum mechanical scattering of a wavepacket (for a single, charged, spinless particle) of well-resolved momentum incident on a fixed Coulomb potential. To implement this, we calculate the incoming and outgoing probability amplitudes for normalized state vectors on the basis of eigenvectors of total momentum magnitude and total angular momentum. We show that the method of partial wave analysis becomes applicable for this long range potential with the use of wavepackets. We find a relation between the finite probability and the differential cross section that is seen to hold sufficiently far from the singularity of the latter in the forward direction. The resulting differential cross section reduces to the familiar Rutherford form for scattering angles sufficiently far from the forward direction. We find that the interaction causes small time shifts in the detection probabilities. For our particular scattering geometry, we see, at low energies, a shadow zone of low probability for small angles around the forward direction, a phenomenon that cannot be predicted by the standard treatment.
Synopsis: Students are introduced to the ideas of particle scattering in quantum mechanics in a one-dimensional context. ƒe integral Schrödinger equation is deduced using a Wronskian technique, and reflection and transmission amplitudes are defined. Several simple scattering problems are solved, and the Born series for the energy-wave function is explained. A three-dimensional spherical basis is introduced, which allows the integral Schrödinger equation in this context to be formulated. ƒe relation between plane waves and spherical waves is found from a solution to the unit-source Helmholtz equation, again using the Wronskian technique. Partial waves, phase shifts, and cross sections are defined, and finite range scattering is considered. ƒe chapter concludes with a consideration of identical particle scattering and an application to the protonproton case, where a dramatic manifestation of the underlying substructure emerges at high energies.
According to Schrödinger's ideas, classical dynamics of point particles should correspond to the « geometrical optics » limit of a linear wave equation, in just the same way as ray optics is the limit of wave optics. It is shown that the « geometrical optics » analogy leads to the correspondence between a classical Hamiltonian H and a linear wave equation in a natural and general way. In particular, the correspondence is unambiguous also in the case where H contains mixed terms involving momentum and position. This is obtained through a theory of the dispersion relations, which leads to properly define the group velocity and to enlighten its role. Using this latter notion, it is shown that, for a quite general class of potentials, « momentum states » can be defined in a physically more satisfying way than by assuming plane waves. These momentum states are solutions of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation and their amplitude functions move rigidly on a well-defined trajectory. In the case of a spatially uniform force field, such momentum states must have a singularity and the trajectory is defined by Newton's second law in the given force field.
In quantum mechanics, the optical theorem states that the extinction cross section is equal (within a prefactor 4π∕k, in which k is a quantum wave number) to the imaginary part of the forward scattering angular function. This theorem is valid for plane wave scattering. We discuss modifications required for non-plane-wave scattering and establish a generalized expression for the extinction cross section in quantum mechanics. Examples are provided for two kinds of quantum shaped beams, namely, Gaussian and Bessel beams.
The exact wave functions that describe scattering of a charged particle by a confined magnetic field (Aharonov-Bohm effect) and by a Coulomb field are analyzed. It is well known that the usual procedure of finding asymptotic forms of these functions which admit a separation into a superposition of an incident plane wave and a circular or spherical scattered wave is problematic near the forward direction. It thus appears to be impossible to express the conservation of probability by means of an optical theorem of the usual kind. Both the total cross section and the forward scattering amplitude appear to be infinite. To address these difficulties we find a new representation for the asymptotic form of the Aharonov-Bohm wave function that is valid for all angles. Rather than try to define a cross section at forward angles, however, we work instead with the probability current and find that it is quite well behaved. The same is true for Coulomb scattering. We trace the usual difficulties to a nonuniformity of limits.