l6 scattering partialwaves

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Lecture 6Lecture 6Scattering theoryScattering theory

Partial Wave AnalysisPartial Wave Analysis

SS2011SS2011:: Introduction to Nuclear and Particle Physics, Part 2Introduction to Nuclear and Particle Physics, Part 2


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Partial wave analysis for elastic scatteringPartial wave analysis for elastic scattering

The Born approximation for the differential cross section is valid if the interaction

between the projectile particle and the scattering potential V(r ) is considered to be smallcompared with the energy of the incident particle (cf. Lecture 5).

Lets obtain the cross section without imposing any limitation on the strength of V(r ).

We assume here the potential to bespherically symmetric.

The angular momentum of the incident particle will therefore be conserved, a particle

scattering from a central potential will have the same angular momentum before and

after the collision.

Assuming that the incident plane wave is in thez-direction and hence

we may express it in terms of a superposition of angular momentum eigenstates, each

with a definite angular momentum number l :

(1)

(2)

We can then examine how each of the partial waves is distorted by V(r ) after the particlescatters from the potential.


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The most general solution of the Schrdinger equation (3) is

Consider the Schrdinger equation in CM frame:

(3)

(4)

Since V(r ) is central, the system is symmetrical (rotationally invariant) about thez-axis.

The scattered wave function must not then depend on the azimuthal angle ; m =0.

Thus, as Yl0

(,) Pl

(cos), the scattered wave function (4) becomes

(5)

whereRkl (r ) obeys the following radial equation

(6)

Each term in (5), which is known as apartial wave, is a joint eigenfunction ofL2 andLZ .

)E2khere( 22h

====


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A substitution of (2) into

with =0 (andk=k0 for elastic scattering) gives

(7)

(8)

The scattered wave function is given, on the one hand, by (5) and, on the other hand, by (8).

Consider the limit

1) Since in almost all scattering experiments detectors are located at distances from thetarget that are much larger than the size of the target itself.

The limit of the Bessel functionjl(kr) for large values ofr is given by

(9)

the asymptotic form of (8) is given by

(10)


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Since

because

one can write (10) as

(11)

(12)

2) To find the asymptotic form of (5), we need first to determine the asymptotic form

of the radial functionRkl (r ). At large values ofr, the scattering potential is effectively

zero radial equation (6) becomes(13)

The general solution of this equation is given by a linear combination of the spherical

Bessel and Neumann functions(14)

where the asymptotic form of the Neumann function is

(15)


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Inserting (9) and (15) into (14), we obtain the asymptotic form of the radial function:

(16)

If V(r)=0 for allr (free particles), the solution of the radial equation (6),rRkl(r ), must

vanish atr=0; thusRkl(r ) must be finite at the origin (at r=0).

Since the Neumann function diverges atr=0, the cosine term in (16) does not

represent a physically acceptable solution;

one has to introduce the phase shift lto achieve the regular solution near the originby rewriting (14)

(((( )))) (((( )))) (((( )))) (((( ))))[[[[ ]]]]krnsinkrjcosC)r(R lllllkl ====

where we have

in the form (17)


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(18)

With l=0, the radial functionRkl(r ) of (18) is finite atr =0, sinceRkl(r ) in (17)reduces tojl(kr).

So l is a real angle which vanishes for all values of l in the absence of the scatteringpotential (i.e., V =0); lis called thephase shift of the lth partial wave.

(((( )))) (((( ))))

kr

2

lkrcossin

2

lkrsincos

C)r(Rll

lrkl

Thus, the asymptotic form of the radial function (16) can be written as

The phase shift l measures the distortion ofRkl(r ) from the free solutionjl(kr)due to the presence of the potential V(r )

Attractive (repulsive) potentials imply that l> 0 (l< 0)

corresponding to the wave being pulled in (pushed out) bythe scattering center resulting in a phase delay (advance).


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(19)

Using (17) we can write the asymptotic limit ofthe scattered wave function (5) as

This wave function (19) is known as adistorted plane wave, which differs from a plane

wave by the phase shifts l.

Since

one can rewrite (19) as

(20)

Compare (20) and (12):

(12)

(21)We obtain:


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Substituting (21) into (20) and this time equating the coefficient of in the resulting

expression with that of (12), we have

which by combining with

leads to

(22)

(23)

wherefl() is denoted as the partial wave amplitude.

from (20)from (12)


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From (23) we obtain the differential cross sections (24)

and the total cross sections reads:

Using the relation

we obtain from (25):

(25)

(26)

where lare denoted as thepartial cross sections corresponding to the scattering of particlesin various angular momentum states.


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The differential cross section (24) consists of a superposition of terms with differentangular momenta; this gives rise to interference patterns between different partial wavescorresponding to different values of l.

The interference terms go away in the total cross section when the integral over iscarried out.

Note that when V=0 everywhere, all the phase shifts lvanish, and hence the partial andtotal cross sections, (24) and (26), are zero.

In the case of low energy scattering between particles, that are in their respective

s states, i.e. l=0, the scattering amplitude (23) becomes

where we have used

(27)

Sincef0 does not depend on , the differential and total cross sections in the CMframe are given by the following simple relations:

(28)

)E2

khere(2

2

h====


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Optical theoremOptical theorem

The total cross section in CM frame can be related to theforward scattering amplitude f (0).

Since for ====0, eq. (23) leads to

(29)

which - combined with (26) - yields the connection betweenf (0) and :

(30)

This relation is known as theoptical theorem.

The physical origin of this theorem is the conservation of particles (or probability):

the beam emerging (after scattering) along the incident direction (=0) contains lessparticles than the incident beam, since a number of particles have scattered in various other

directions. This decrease in the number of particles is measured by the total cross section ;that is, the number of particles removed from the incident beam along the incident

direction is proportional to or, equivalently, to the imaginary part off (0).

Note: although (30) was derived for elastic scattering, the optical theorem (as will be shownlater) is also valid for inelastic scattering.


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In the case where there is no flux loss, we must have .

However, this requirement is not valid whenever there isabsorption of the incidentbeam. In this case of flux loss, Sl(k) is redefined by

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Partial wave analysis for inelastic scatteringPartial wave analysis for inelastic scattering

The scattering amplitude (23) can be rewritten as

(31)

(32)where

(33)with

(34)

(35)

with , then (33) and (31) become

(36)


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Total elastic and inelastic cross sectionsTotal elastic and inelastic cross sections

Thetotal elastic scattering cross section is given by

(37)

(38)

Thetotal inelastic scattering cross section, which describes the loss of flux, is given by

Thus, if l(k)= 1 there is no inelastic scattering, but if l(k)= 0 we have total absorption,

although there is still elastic scattering in this partial wave.The sum of (37) and (38) gives the total cross section:

(39)

Using (31) and (35) we get:

A comparison of (40) and (39) gives the optical theorem relation

Note that the optical theorem is also valid for inelastic scattering!

(40)

(41)


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HighHigh--energy scattering from a black diskenergy scattering from a black disk

Consider the example: a black disk is totally absorbing , i.e., l(k)= 0.

Assuming the values of angular momentum l do not exceed a maximum value lmax (l < lmax)

and thatk is large (high-energy scattering), we have lmax=ka wherea is the radius of the disk.

Since l= 0, equations (37) and (38) lead to

(42)

the total cross section then reads

Classically, the total cross section is a disk equal to a2.

The factor 2 in (43) is due to purely quantum effects, since in the high-energy limit there

are two kinds of scattering: one corresponding to waves that hit the disk, where the crosssection is equal to the classical cross section a2, and the other to waves that are diffracted- also of size a2.

(43)2

ineleltot a2 ====++++====

S i f id i l b


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Scattering of identical bosons

Lets consider the scattering of two identicalbosons in their center of mass frame.

Classically, the cross section for the scattering of two identical particles whose interaction

potential is central is given by

(44)

(45)

and also the scattering amplitude:

(46)

In quantum mechanics there is no way

of distinguishing between the particle

that scatters at an angle from the one

that scatters at (-).

Thus, the scattered wave function must be symmetric:

S tt i f id ti l b


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Scattering of identical bosons

Therefore, the differential cross section is

(47)

interference term - not in the classical case !

For- quantum case

- classical case

(48)

If the particles are distinguishable, the differential cross section will be four times

smaller:(49)

S tt i f id ti l f i


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Scattering of identical fermions

Consider now the scattering of two identical spin 1/2 particles.

E.g.: electronelectron or protonproton scattering.

The wave function of a two spin 1/2 particle system is either symmetric or antisymmetric:

when the spatial wave function is symmetric, that is the two particles are in a spin singlet

state, the differential cross section is given by

(50)

(51)

when the two particles are in a spin triplet state, the spatial wave function isantisymmetric, and then

If the incident particles are unpolarized, the various spin states will be equally likely,so the triplet state will be three times more likely as the singlet:

(52)

S tt i f id ti l f i


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Scattering of identical fermions

for (53)quantum case

classical case

if the incident particles are unpolarized:

(53) this quantum differential cross section for the scattering of identical fermions is

half the classical expression, and four times smaller than the quantum differential crosssection for the scattering of two identical bosons (48) -

Note that, in the case of partial wave analysis for elastic scattering, using the relations

and inserting them into (23) leads to:

(23)

We can write

(54)

(55)

l6 scattering partialwaves

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