Scattering Lecture 3

A quantum approach to scattering

When do we need to consider quantum mechanical approach
to scattering?
Consider Heisenberg - xpx and an ensemble of particles
in thermal equilibrium with a gas at room temperature.
For an isolated particle (atom molecule, ) we may take x
(the uncertainty in position) to be of the order of 1 atomic
radius.
 Quantum scattering
So now we have - x 108cm and this gives
Vx 1 x 108cm s1 for an electron
Vx 3 x 104cm s1 for a H2 molecule
Vx 2 x 103cm s1 for an Argon atom
At 15oC, mean velocities for these particles are:
Argon Vx 4 x 104
H2 Vx 2 x 105
e Vx 1 x 107
so at best, classical approach is marginal for Ar and unsuitable for H2
and e-
 Quantum scattering
A QM treatment represents the incident particle in a collision
process as a wave packet which spreads as it travels through
space
QM and classical physics can provide a similar answer in a
scattering problem if
(i) The de Broglie wavelength of the projectile is SMALL compared
with the distance of closest approach
(ii) The scattering of the particle is not obscured by the spread of the
wavepacket (i.e: low energies long wavelengths)
 Quantum Scattering
Consider a wave packet representing a projectile with velocity v0 in
the z direction incident on a target at rest:

If there is no collision we can assume that the wave packet has

passed the target at some distance, y, which is greater than the
range of the interaction.
From the Uncertainty Principle we have myvy .
The classical concept of a collision (from example (i)) is valid when

y >> y or


The angular divergence of the wavepacket will be
0
 Quantum scattering
So, condition (ii) will be satisfied when:

or
0 0

In general, classical treatments are OK at high energies for

heavy particles, with the possible exception of small angle
scattering
Rules of thumb:
(a) High incident energies, for heavy particles
is small, classical ok for > min
(b) Low incident energies
r0 quantum effects may occur
(c) Very low energies
>> r0 fully QM
 Hamiltonians
The time dependent wave function for two nonidentical
particles of masses m1 and m2 undergoing mutual scattering
can be written:
(r1 , r2 , t )
the probability of finding particle 1 within a volume element
d1 about position r1 and particle 2 within a volume element
d2 about position r2 at time t is:
2 d 1d 2
r1 and r2 are 3-D position vectors in the lab frame. We can
assume that they interact through some (time independent)
potential V(r1-r2)
 Hamiltonians
The Hamiltonian can be written as:
2 2
+ V (r1 r2 )
p1 p2
H= +
2m1 2m2

Now we have: E = i p1 = i r1 p2 = i r2
t
so that: 2 2 2 2
H= r1 + r2 + V (r1 r2 )
2m1 2m2
and: H = E
i.e.:
2 2 2 2
i (r1 , r2 , t ) = r1 + r2 + V (r1 r2 ) (r1 , r2 , t )
t 2m1 2m2
 Hamiltonian
Want to redefine the coordinate system to:
=
1 +2
=
1 +2
r is the vector joining the two particles and pointing from m2
to m1. R is the position vector of the centre of mass.
We now have
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
r1 + r2 R + r
2m1 2m2 2M 2
where M=m1+m2 and is the reduced mass
 Hamiltonian
The Hamiltonian now becomes:

2 2
2 2

i (r , R, t ) = R + r + V (r ) (r , R, t )
t 2M 2

V(r) is time-independent so we can separate the

timedependence out of the above and also separate the
SPATIAL part into a product of functions of r and R

i ( ECM + E ) t
(r , R, t ) = ( R) (r )e
 Hamiltonian
(R) is a solution of 2 2
R (R ) = ECM (R )
2M
and (r) is a solution of 2 2
r + V (r ) (r ) = E (r )
2
We have separated the twobody problem into two onebody
problems
One for the motion of the Centre of Mass
One for the relative motion of the particles in the CM frame
i.e. We have decoupled the two body scattering problem into
the somewhat simpler consideration of a free particle (the
Centre of Mass) and that of a single particle of reduced
mass moving in a potential V(r)
 Potential scattering
We will consider the nonrelativistic scattering of a beam of
particles by a structureless target which we can represent by
a potential V(r). Projectile and target particles are NOT
identical and we will consider only elastic scattering.
Relative motion Schroedinger eqn:
2 2
r + V (r ) (r , t ) = i (r , t )
2 iEt
t
solutions have the form: (r , t ) = (r )e
where (r) is the solution of the time-independent eqn.
Time dependent part is the same for all wavefunctions, and
doesnt change with scattering. We will consider the spatial
component.
 Potential scattering
We consider the incident momentum direction to be
ki and take it to be parallel to the z axis, and we
represent the projectile as an incoming plane wave:

The probability of finding the particle within some volume

element dr about r is: P(r )dr = (r ) dr
2

and P(r ) = * (r ) (r ) = A2
So, if the incoming projectile beam has a current density of C
(particles/cm2s) and a velocity of v (cm/s) then:
C =vA
2
 Potential Scattering
The TOTAL wave function for the scattering process must
describe the situation before, during and after the scattering
event
An incoming plane wave (e.g.: Aeikz)
An outgoing spherical wave whose amplitude decreases as 1/r for
large r

and
Where f() is the scattering amplitude
Thus for large r the total wave function must have the general
form
 Scattering cross section
We have:

Consider the radial current density average no. of particles

present in unit volume multiplied by their velocity
Remember our scattering picture detector at (r,,) with
area dS. Number of particles per second through the
detector is: 2 2 |()|2
| | ~
2

2 2 2 2
2
|()| dS = |()| d

= |()|2 d
 Scattering cross section
We can also see (from lecture 2!) that the number of particles
scattered per unit time into d is:

so we have
 Calulating f()
Partial Wave Analysis
For a central potential V(r) the time independent wave
equation is: 2
+ 2 [E V (r )] = 0
2

If we substitute

[ ]
then we have: 2 + k 2 U (r ) = 0
Desired solutions should match our conditions from
previously
 Partial Wave Analysis
Both U(r) and V(r) depend only on r, so we can write:

and substitute.
1 1 1 2
2 = 2 r 2 + 2 sin + 2 2
r r r r sin r sin 2

No dependence, so we have

1 d 2 dL 2 2
r
L dr dr
[ ]
+ r k U (r ) L =
1 d
sin
Y sin d
dY

d
 Partial Wave Analysis
Both sides must equal a constant we will call it l(l+1)
So now we can write:

and

Both solutions for = 0 unless l = 0,1,2,....

The second equation is a special case of Legendres equation
a 2nd order differential equation with two linearly
independent solutions which can both be expressed as a
power series in cos
 Partial Wave Analysis
solutions Pl (cos) are known as LEGENDRE POLYNOMIALS
P0 (cos ) = 1
P1 (cos ) = cos
(
P2 (cos ) = 1 3 cos 2 1
2
)
(
P3 (cos ) = 1 5 cos 3 3 cos
2
)
and we can see that solutions to the scattering problem must
then have the form
 Partial Wave Analysis
Al are (arbitrary) constants and Ll(r) are solutions of the radial
part of the equation
The individual terms are known as partial waves partial as
they correspond to quantized values of the orbital angular
momentum
 Partial Wave Analysis
Now consider the radial equation, and we can make the
substitution :

where Gl(r) is a solution of:

Gl(r) can be expanded so that:

Gl (r ) = an r n
n

and so there are two possible solutions to the differential

eqn.
 Partial Wave Analysis
Regular solution at the origin: Gl (r ) r l +1 as r 0
Irregular solution: Gl (r ) r l as r 0

Wavefunctions must be finite everywhere, so we choose the

regular solution and we have:
Ll (r ) r l as r 0
at large r we can assume the potential can be neglected (say
for r>a), and this region is the external region.
 Partial Wave Analysis
Setting =kr, we can then write:
d 2 1 l (l + 1)
2+ Gl ( ) = 0
d 2

as r
The general solutions of this eqn. are linear combinations of
spherical Bessel functions:
1

jl ( ) = J l +1 2 ( )
2

2 1

l +1
nl ( ) = ( 1) J l 1 2 ( )
2

2
with J() a Bessel function of order .
 Partial Wave Analysis
Examples:
sin cos
j0 ( ) = n0 ( ) =

sin cos cos sin
j1 ( ) = n1 ( ) =
2
2

now for small (i.e.: for small r),

jl() l and nl() -(l+1)
so the regular solution is the spherical Bessel function jl(). As
(or r) , we also have:

l l
jl ( ) sin nl ( ) cos
1 1
2 2
 Partial Wave Analysis
So, finally, we see that we can write:
sin (kr l 2 ) cos(kr l 2 )
Ll (r ) = Bl (k ) Cl (k )
kr kr
as r , where B and C are constants, independent of r.
[
Now setting Al (k ) = Bl 2 (k ) + Cl 2 (k ) and
12
]
Cl (k )
tan l (k ) = we have the asymptotic
Bl (k )
Al (k )
solution: Ll (r ) = sin (kr l 2 + l (k ))
kr
valid for all potentials which fall faster than r-1
 Partial Wave Analysis
l(k) is the phase shift of the lth partial wave due to the
scattering potential.
Now the total wavefunction is:

(r , ) = Pl (cos )sin (kr l 2 + l )
Al
l = 0 kr
Remembering that:
(r , ) = inc (r , ) + scatt (r , )
we take
inc (r , ) = eikz = eikr cos

= (2l + 1)i Pl (cos ) jl (kr )
l

l =0
 Partial Wave Analysis
As r , then we have

sin (kr l 2 )
inc (r , ) = (2l + 1)i Pl (cos )
l

l =0 kr

so: (r , ) = inc (r , ) + scatt (r , )

scatt (r , ) = Pl (cos )[Al sin (kr l 2 + l )
1
l = 0 kr

]
(2l + 1)i l sin (kr l 2 )

which must be an outgoing spherical wave.

 Partial Wave Analysis
Take the term:
[Al sin (kr l ]
2 + l ) (2l + 1)i sin (kr l 2 )
l

This can be rewritten as:

1 i (kr l
2i
e 2)
[
Al e i (2l + 1) e
i l l
]
1 i (kr l 2 )
2i
[
Al e i l i l (2l + 1) ]
Now scatt must be an outgoing spherical wave so
the second term must disappear (represents an
incoming spherical wave), which gives us:

Al = (2l + 1)i e
l i l
Partial Wave Analysis
Now we can write the total wavefunction as:

(r , ) = (2l + 1)i e Ll (r )P l (cos )
l i l

l =0

We also know that eikr

scatt f ( )
r
Total wavefunction only looks like this when:
1
f ( ) = (2l + 1)e 2 i l
P l (cos )
2ik l =0
= A + iB
Partial Wave Analysis

Where we have:
A=
1
(2l + 1)sin (2 l )P l (cos )
2k l = 0
1
B= (2l + 1)(1 cos 2 l )P l (cos )
2k l = 0
and: d
= f ( )
2

d
= A +B
2 2

and:
4
T = 2 (2l + 1) sin 2
l
k l =0
Partial Wave Analysis
The total cross section can then be expressed as:

where 4
T = l l = 2
(2l + 1)sin
2
l
l =0 k
is the partial wave cross section. We can see that
4
l max= (2l + 1) when l = (n+1/2)
k2
and l = 0 when l = n.
The partial wave approach is most useful at low
energies, where there are only a few partial waves to
consider.