Lecture 6

Scattering theory
Partial Wave Analysis

SS2011: Introduction to Nuclear and Particle Physics, Part 2

Partial 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 small
compared 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 be spherically 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 the z-direction and hence
(1)

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

with a definite angular momentum number l :
(2)

We can then examine how each of the partial waves is distorted by V(r ) after the particle
scatters from the potential.
2

Partial wave analysis for elastic scattering

Consider the Schrdinger equation in CM frame:
(3)
The most general solution of the Schrdinger equation (3) is
(4)
Since V(r ) is central, the system is symmetrical (rotationally invariant) about the z-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)

where Rkl (r ) obeys the following radial equation

( here

k2 =

2 E
)
2
h
(6)

Each term in (5), which is known as a partial wave, is a joint eigenfunction of L2 and LZ .
3

Partial wave analysis for elastic scattering

A substitution of (2) into
(7)
with =0 (and k=k0 for elastic scattering) gives
(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 the
target that are much larger than the size of the target itself.
The limit of the Bessel function jl(kr) for large values of r is given by
(9)
 the asymptotic form of (8) is given by
(10)
4

Partial wave analysis for elastic scattering

Since

(11)

because
one can write (10) as
(12)

2) To find the asymptotic form of (5), we need first to determine the asymptotic form
of the radial function Rkl (r ). At large values of r, 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)
5

Partial wave analysis for elastic scattering

Inserting (9) and (15) into (14), we obtain the asymptotic form of the radial function:
(16)
If V(r)=0 for all r (free particles), the solution of the radial equation (6), rRkl(r ), must
vanish at r=0; thus Rkl(r ) must be finite at the origin (at r=0).

Since the Neumann function diverges at r=0, the cosine term in (16) does not
represent a physically acceptable solution;
 one has to introduce the phase shift l to achieve the regular solution near the origin
by rewriting (14)
in the form

Rkl ( r ) = C l [cos( l ) jl (kr ) sin( l )nl (kr )]

(17)

where we have

Partial wave analysis for elastic scattering

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

cos( l ) sin kr
2

Rkl ( r ) r
C

(
)

sin
cos
kr

l
2

kr

(18)
With l =0, the radial function Rkl(r ) of (18) is finite at r =0, since Rkl(r ) in (17)
reduces to jl(kr).
So l is a real angle which vanishes for all values of l in the absence of the scattering
potential (i.e., V =0); l is called the phase shift of the lth partial wave.
The phase shift l measures the distortion of Rkl(r ) from the free solution jl(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) by
the scattering center resulting in a phase delay (advance).

Partial wave analysis for elastic scattering

Using (17) we can write the asymptotic limit of the scattered wave function (5) as
(19)

This wave function (19) is known as a distorted 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)
We obtain:
(21)
8

Partial wave analysis for elastic scattering

Substituting (21) into (20) and this time equating the coefficient of
expression with that of (12), we have

from (12)

in the resulting

(22)

from (20)

which by combining with

leads to

(23)

where fl( ) is denoted as the partial wave amplitude.

Partial wave analysis for elastic scattering

From (23) we obtain the differential cross sections

(24)

and the total cross sections reads:

(25)

Using the relation

we obtain from (25):
(26)

where l are denoted as the partial cross sections corresponding to the scattering of particles
in various angular momentum states.
10

Partial wave analysis for elastic scattering

The differential cross section (24) consists of a superposition of terms with different

angular momenta; this gives rise to interference patterns between different partial waves
corresponding to different values of l.

The interference terms go away in the total cross section when the integral over is

carried out.

Note that when V=0 everywhere, all the phase shifts l vanish, and hence the partial and

total 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

(27)
where we have used
Since f0 does not depend on , the differential and total cross sections in the CM
frame are given by the following simple relations:
(28)

( here

k2 =

2 E
)
2
h

11

Optical theorem
The total cross section in CM frame can be related to the forward scattering amplitude f (0).
Since

for =0, eq. (23) leads to

(29)

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

(30)
This relation is known as the optical 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 less
particles 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 of f (0).
Note: although (30) was derived for elastic scattering, the optical theorem (as will be shown
later) is also valid for inelastic scattering.
12

Partial wave analysis for inelastic scattering

The scattering amplitude (23) can be rewritten as
(31)
where

(32)

with

(33)

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

However, this requirement is not valid whenever there is absorption of the incident
beam. In this case of flux loss, Sl (k) is redefined by
(34)
with

, then (33) and (31) become

(35)

(36)
13

Total elastic and inelastic cross sections

The total elastic scattering cross section is given by
(37)
The total inelastic scattering cross section, which describes the loss of flux, is given by
(38)
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:

(40)

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

(41)
 Note that the optical theorem is also valid for inelastic scattering!

14

High-energy 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 that k is large (high-energy scattering), we have lmax=ka where a is the radius of the disk.
Since l = 0, equations (37) and (38) lead to
(42)
 the total cross section then reads

tot = el + inel = 2a

(43)

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 cross
section is equal to the classical cross section a2, and the other to waves that are diffracted
- also of size a2.

15

Scattering of identical bosons

Lets consider the scattering of two identical bosons 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)

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:

(45)
and also the scattering amplitude:
(46)
16

Scattering of identical bosons

Therefore, the differential cross section is

(47)
interference term - not in the classical case !
For

- quantum case

(48)

- classical case

If the particles are distinguishable, the differential cross section will be four times
smaller:
(49)

17

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)

when the two particles are in a spin triplet state, the spatial wave function is
antisymmetric, and then
(51)

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)
18

Scattering of identical fermions

 if the incident particles are unpolarized:
for

quantum case

(53)

classical case
(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 cross
section 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)
19