Particle Physics Integral Calculation

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Homework Statement


In calculating the quantum mechanical amplitude for the Coulomb potential (scattering of say \alpha particle off a massive particle of charge Ze), I came across a Fourier transform which I could not calculate.

If
U(r)=\frac{2Ze^2}{4\pi\epsilon_0 r}
then
\tilde{U}(k)=\int U(\mathbf{x})e^{i\mathbf{k}\cdot\mathbf{x}}d^3x=\frac{Ze^2}{\epsilon_0 k^2}

Could you please help me calculate this integral


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution

 
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It looks pretty straightforward, just choose your coordinate system so that \textbf{k} points along the z-axis and perform the integration in spherical coordinates.

Edit: It turns out that the integral doesn't converge directly, so instead you may wish to transform the Yukawa potential \frac{1}{r}e^{-ur}, and then take the limit as u\to 0. Strictly speaking, this is only valid if you treat the Coulomb potential as a distribution and not a mathematical function (otherwise, the limit of the integral need not be the same as the integral of the limit).
 
Last edited:
Thanks for your reply, I tried integrating over \mathbb{R}^3 but my integral does not converge for 0\leq r<\infty i.e. integrating

\int_0^{2\pi}\int_0^{\pi}\int_0^{\infty}r e^{ikr \cos\theta} \sin\theta dr d\theta d\phi

Doing the \theta integration first I get

\int_0^{2\pi}\int_0^{\infty}\frac{2\sin kr}{k}dr d\phi

But the r integration does not converge. Am I using the wrong limits
 
Did you read the edit part of my post?
 
Yes I read the edit part of your post, but in my lecture notes there was nothing said about approximation by the Yukawa potential, the integral was just given as I stated it above. Is the integral an approximation? It partially works out when integrated. (also is it related to the first born approximation?)
 
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