Eikonal Approximation: Find total Scattering Cross Section

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the Eikonal approximation and its application to determine the total scattering cross section of a particle interacting with a specified potential. The potential is defined piecewise, with a constant value inside a radius and zero outside.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the application of the optical theorem to relate the scattering amplitude to the total cross section. There is an exploration of the limits of integration for the potential and how they affect the calculation of the integral for ##\Delta(b)##.

Discussion Status

Some participants have offered guidance on the limits of integration, suggesting that they should be confined to the region defined by the potential. There is ongoing clarification regarding the interpretation of the limits and the nature of the potential.

Contextual Notes

Participants are grappling with the implications of the potential's definition on the integration limits, with some expressing uncertainty about how to properly set these limits given the divergence encountered in the calculations.

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Homework Statement


Using the Eikonal approximation
(1) Determine the expression for the total scattering cross section of a particle in a potential V(r)
(2) Using this result, compute the total scattered cross section for the following potential.

<br /> V(r)=<br /> \begin{cases}<br /> V_0, \text{for } r &lt; a \\<br /> 0 , \text{for } r &gt;a<br /> \end{cases}<br />

Where ##V_0 > 0##

Homework Equations



The differential cross section is given by..

1.) \frac{d\sigma}{d\Omega}= |f(\vec{k}&#039;,\vec{k})|^2

Where ##f(\vec{k}',\vec{k})## is the scattering amplitude.

2.) The optical theorem is a easy way to find the total scattered cross section from a potential. It is given by..

\text{Im}\left(f(\theta=0)\right)=\frac{\sigma_{tot}}{4\pi}

3.) The expression for the Eikonal approximation is..

f(\vec{k}&#039;,\vec{k})=-i k \int_0^{\infty}db b J_0(kb\theta)[e^{2 i \Delta(b)}-1]

Where..

\Delta(b)=\frac{-m}{2k\hbar^2}\int_{-\infty}^{\infty}V(\sqrt{b^2+z^2})dz

Where ##V(\sqrt{b^2+z^2})## means ##V## OF ##\sqrt{b^2+z^2}##, not times.

##b## is the impact parameter, and in the book they say that ##l## can be treated as a continuous variable since we are at high energies, and they say that ##l = bk ##. Not sure if this helps.

The Attempt at a Solution



I used the optical theorem (equation 2) to get..

\sigma_{tot}=4 \pi \text{Im} \left(f(\vec{k}&#039;,\vec{k})\right)=-4 \pi k \int_0^{\infty}db b J_0(kb\theta)[\text{Re}(e^{2i\Delta(b)})-1]_{\theta=0}

So it seems that all I would need to do is calculate the integral, but I am having trouble finding ##\Delta(b)## because the limits are infinity. When I plug in the potential I get..

\Delta(b)=\frac{-m}{2k\hbar^2}\int_{-\infty}^{\infty}V_0dz

Which diverges? Clearly the limits simplify to something that's not infinity on both ends. But the variable of integration is z, which has no limit in either direction. I found some examples, but the ones I found use the gaussian potential and do not change the limits of integration.
 
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The range of integration should be: b²+z²<a² .
 
So I guess the integration is only over the scatterer?

So if I have ##b^2+z^2=a^2 \rightarrow z=\sqrt{a^2-b^2}##. So the limits of integration should be from ##z=-\sqrt{a^2-b^2}## to ##z=\sqrt{a^2-b^2}##?
 
The limits are over the whole space.
But your potential V(r) is not.
 

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