© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

Terms Privacy Legal Notice

arXiv:hep-th/0006092

Aharonov-Bohm and Coulomb Scattering Near the Forward Direction

Charles M. Sommerfield, Hisakazu Minakata

Published Jun 13, 2000• 1 citation

Abstract

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.

DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.hep-th/0006092

Related papers

Aharonov–Bohm scattering: The role of the incident wave

Seiji Sakoda, Minoru Omote

The scattering problem under the influence of the Aharonov–Bohm (AB) potential is reconsidered. By solving the Lippmann–Schwinger (LS) equation we obtain the wave function of the scattering state in this system. In spite of working with a plane wave as an incident wave we obtain the same wave function as was given by Aharonov and Bohm. Another method to solve the scattering problem is given by making use of a modified version of Gordon’s idea, which was invented to consider the scattering by the Coulomb potential. These two methods give the same result, which guarantees the validity of taking an incident plane wave as usual to make an analysis of this scattering problem. The scattering problem by a solenoid of finite radius is also discussed, and we find that the vector potential of the solenoid affects the charged particles, even when the magnitude of the flux is an odd integer as well as a noninteger. It is shown that the unitarity of the S matrix holds provided that a plane wave is taken to be an incident one.

arXiv:hep-th/9603185•Journal of Mathematical Physics•Feb 1, 1997•17 citations

Some aspects of the Aharonov-Bohm effect

Walter C. Henneberger

It is shown that the Aharonov-Bohm scattering cross section diverges. This presents a problem since the range of the scattering force (Lorentz force) is finite. The cross section found by Aharonov and Bohm (AB) results whether one takes an incident wave function corresponding to particles moving in the incident direction, as was done by AB, or just takes the incident state to be a plane wave. The mechanism by which a localized force results in an infinite cross section is not clear. This is an apparent contradiction to recent proofs that electrodynamics is a local theory.

Physical Review A•Oct 1, 1980•38 citations

Aharonov-Bohm scattering of charged particles and neutral atoms: The role of absorption

Jürgen Audretsch, Vladimir D. Skarzhinsky

The Aharonov-Bohm (AB) scattering of charged particles by the magnetic field of an infinitely long and infinitely thin solenoid (magnetic string) in an absorbing medium is studied. We discuss the partial-wave approach to this problem and show that the standard partial-wave method can be adjusted to this case. The effect of absorption leads to oscillations of the AB cross section. Based on this we investigate the scattering of neutral atoms with induced electric dipole moments by a charge wire of finite radius, which is placed in a uniform magnetic field. The physical realistic and practically important case that all atoms that collide with the wire are totally absorbed at its surface is studied in detail. The dominating terms of the scattering amplitude are evaluated analytically for different physical constellations. The remaining terms are written in a form suitable for a numerical computation. We show that if the magnetic field is absent, the absorbing charged wire causes oscillations of the cross section. In the presence of the magnetic field the cross section increases and the dominating Aharonov-Bohm peak appears in the forward direction, suppressing the oscillations.

arXiv:quant-ph/9901066•Physical Review A•Sep 1, 1999•16 citations

Aharonov-Bohm scattering of a localized wave packet: Analysis of the forward direction

Davide Stelitano

The Aharonov-Bohm scattering of a localized wave packet is considered. A careful analysis of the forward direction points out new results: according to the time-dependent solution obtained by means of the asymptotic representation for the propagator (kernel), a phenomenon of autointerference occurs along the forward direction, where, also, the probability density current is evaluated and found finite.

arXiv:hep-th/9411175•Physical review. D. Particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology/Physical review. D. Particles and fields•May 15, 1995•20 citations

Asymptotic behavior of scattering amplitudes in magnetic fields at large separation

Hiroshi T. ITO, Hideo Tamura

Magnetic potentials have a direct significance to the motion of particles in quantum mechanics. This is known as the Aharonov-Bohm effect. We study this quantum property in the scattering by two magnetic fields at large separation in two dimensions. We derive the asymptotic formula of scattering amplitude when the distance between the centers of two fields goes to infinity. The result depends on the fluxes of fields and on incident and final directions. We here consider only the simple case that at least one of two fluxes is zero.

Journal of the Mathematical Society of Japan•Jul 1, 2001•0 citations

Scattering amplitude in the Aharonov-Bohm gauge field

Paola Giacconi A, Fabio Maltoni B, Roberto Soldati

A general expression for the scattering amplitude of nonrelativistic spinless particles in the Aharonov-Bohm gauge potential is obtained within the time-independent formalism. The result is valid also in the forward direction as well as for any choice of the boundary conditions on the wave function at the flux tube position. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.

arXiv:hep-th/9509003•Physical review. D. Particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology/Physical review. D. Particles and fields•Jan 15, 1996•17 citations

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.

The scattering problem under the influence of the Aharonov–Bohm (AB) potential is reconsidered. By solving the Lippmann–Schwinger (LS) equation we obtain the wave function of the scattering state in this system. In spite of working with a plane wave as an incident wave we obtain the same wave function as was given by Aharonov and Bohm. Another method to solve the scattering problem is given by making use of a modified version of Gordon’s idea, which was invented to consider the scattering by the Coulomb potential. These two methods give the same result, which guarantees the validity of taking an incident plane wave as usual to make an analysis of this scattering problem. The scattering problem by a solenoid of finite radius is also discussed, and we find that the vector potential of the solenoid affects the charged particles, even when the magnitude of the flux is an odd integer as well as a noninteger. It is shown that the unitarity of the S matrix holds provided that a plane wave is taken to be an incident one.

It is shown that the Aharonov-Bohm scattering cross section diverges. This presents a problem since the range of the scattering force (Lorentz force) is finite. The cross section found by Aharonov and Bohm (AB) results whether one takes an incident wave function corresponding to particles moving in the incident direction, as was done by AB, or just takes the incident state to be a plane wave. The mechanism by which a localized force results in an infinite cross section is not clear. This is an apparent contradiction to recent proofs that electrodynamics is a local theory.

The Aharonov-Bohm (AB) scattering of charged particles by the magnetic field of an infinitely long and infinitely thin solenoid (magnetic string) in an absorbing medium is studied. We discuss the partial-wave approach to this problem and show that the standard partial-wave method can be adjusted to this case. The effect of absorption leads to oscillations of the AB cross section. Based on this we investigate the scattering of neutral atoms with induced electric dipole moments by a charge wire of finite radius, which is placed in a uniform magnetic field. The physical realistic and practically important case that all atoms that collide with the wire are totally absorbed at its surface is studied in detail. The dominating terms of the scattering amplitude are evaluated analytically for different physical constellations. The remaining terms are written in a form suitable for a numerical computation. We show that if the magnetic field is absent, the absorbing charged wire causes oscillations of the cross section. In the presence of the magnetic field the cross section increases and the dominating Aharonov-Bohm peak appears in the forward direction, suppressing the oscillations.

Magnetic potentials have a direct significance to the motion of particles in quantum mechanics. This is known as the Aharonov-Bohm effect. We study this quantum property in the scattering by two magnetic fields at large separation in two dimensions. We derive the asymptotic formula of scattering amplitude when the distance between the centers of two fields goes to infinity. The result depends on the fluxes of fields and on incident and final directions. We here consider only the simple case that at least one of two fluxes is zero.