Last Chapter of PC4130: Quantum Scattering Theory

Greens function approach to scattering problems

Concept of scattering cross sections

Born approximation and Born series

Partial wave analysis and phase shifts

Greens function approach to quantum scattering theory

Our starting points:

Adopt a time-independent picture of quantum scattering Seek time-independent eigenstates that match the boundary condition for a scattering problem

Time-independent Schrodinger equation in the continuum

For structureless projectile and target (hence elastic collisions)

Loosely speaking, if we multiply

to both sides:

continued on the next slide

continuing the previous slide:

Then we have the solution

More generally where

i.e., unperturbed solution

For scattering states, any E in the continuum is an acceptable eigenvalue, so we dont have to find the eigenvalue first!

But the operator

is a singular operator !

(for example, in the energy representation, can assume an eigenvalue E, and hence the denominator would be zero !) Introducing Greens function operators

A positive real number taken to be infinitely small in the end

Lippmann-Schwinger equation

Coordinate representation of Greens functions

After integrating over

, we have:

residue of the upper half plane ! For plus sign:

pole pole

For minus sign:

k=(x,y)

k=(x,y)

We then have the coordinate representation of the scattering solution:

For a scattering problem with a short-range potential: only for small , so the integral in the previous slide is limited to a small region of r

consider then |r|>>|r| (viewing scattering wavefunctions far away):

(plug this into the expression in the previous slide)

We can now see:

G0

+ -

yields a solution with waves propagating out from the origin yields a solution with waves propagating to the origin

G0

So to match the scattering solution with what is really happening, we have to choose the plus solution as our scattering solution. The minus solution is however still useful in many theoretical manipulations.

Also, for two particles colliding along z, the unperturbed solution is

Our final solution

Our final formal solution

still unknown

where

determined by the direction of r or k

So even though the formal solution is not explicitly found, it must be of the following significant form:

The probability flux

associated with these two terms:

1st term: probability flux is

, which is along z.

2nd term: probability flux along the direction of r is given by

Significance of the function

outgoing flux

incoming flux before scattering

scattering region

The probability scattered in the direction can be regarded as the result of blocking of an area d perpendicular to the incoming flux:

Differential cross section

So

is just the differential cross section of the scattering.

The total cross section, i.e., the total scattering probability expressed as an effective area that blocks the incoming flux is:

Concluding remarks:

Using Greens function approach, we derived a general expression for the scattering solution. From that general expression, the scattering cross section can be directly identified. In our next lecture we will construct perturbative solutions from our general expression based on Greens function. In our 3rd quantum scattering lecture we will outline how exact solutions may be found for spherically symmetric problems using partial wave analysis.