Is impact parameter more dependent on the scattering center or incoming wave?

[Kevin McHugh]

Is the impact parameter more dependent on the scattering center, the incoming wave, or both?

 

[drvrm]

Is the impact parameter more dependent on the scattering center, the incoming wave, or both?

If one takes the scattering center as hard sphere of say Radius R and the incoming particle/wave is under central collision the impact parameter can be zero ,
it will be between zero and R if the impact is peripheral and the path is a hyperbolic one ,it can be larger than 2R if the collision is ultraperpheral...
impact parameter is dependent on the scattering angle and off course on the interaction potential operating between the collision centre and the projectile.
If the energy of the incoming particle/wave is large the projectile may approach the center more closely,
Example -in Rutherford scattering experiment the impact parameter gave an idea of the size of the nucleus.

 

[Kevin McHugh]

Thanks drvrm, I take it then the impact parameter is dependent on both, since the scattering angle depends on the momentum of the incoming particle, and the radius of the scattering center.