- #1
jeebs
- 325
- 4
hi,
here's the problem:
imagine a heavy nucleus and an electron approaching it with some momentum pi.
it scatters elastically off the nucleus at some angle [tex]\theta[/tex] and momentum pf. the nucleus can be considered to remain at rest, since it is so massive.
I have to start with the definition of vector q = pi - pf, get an expression for q^2 (the square of the magnitude of the vector q), and show that the angular dependence of the scattering is given by the Rutherford formula,
[tex]\frac{d\sigma}{d\Omega}[/tex] [tex]\propto 1/(sin^4(\theta/2))
[/tex]
my attempted solution:
so far I've worked out that q2 = (pi - pf)2 = pi2 - pf2 - 2pi.pf
ie. q2 = 2p2 - 2p2cos([tex]\theta[/tex])
= 2p2(1-cos([tex]\theta[/tex]))
since the magnitudes of pi and pf are equal.
then I got 1 - cos([tex]\theta[/tex]) = 2sin2([tex]\theta/2[/tex])
by using cos(A+B) = cos(A)cos(B) - sin(A)sin(B) where A = B = [tex]\theta/2[/tex]
then I looked at Fermi's Golden Rule:
[tex]\frac{d\sigma}{d\Omega}[/tex] = ([tex]2\pi[/tex]/[tex]\hbar[/tex])|Mfi|2Df
where the matrix element |Mfi| = [tex]\frac{4g^2\pi\hbar}{q^2 + (mc)^2}[/tex]
which is a result that is given to me in a previous part of the problem.
clearly when used in Fermi's Golden Rule, the square of the matrix element gives 3 terms, one of which is the 1/q4 term I am looking for, but also 2 other terms. Is there a way for me to get rid of the 2 extra terms or am I barking up the wrong tree here?
thanks in advance.
here's the problem:
imagine a heavy nucleus and an electron approaching it with some momentum pi.
it scatters elastically off the nucleus at some angle [tex]\theta[/tex] and momentum pf. the nucleus can be considered to remain at rest, since it is so massive.
I have to start with the definition of vector q = pi - pf, get an expression for q^2 (the square of the magnitude of the vector q), and show that the angular dependence of the scattering is given by the Rutherford formula,
[tex]\frac{d\sigma}{d\Omega}[/tex] [tex]\propto 1/(sin^4(\theta/2))
[/tex]
my attempted solution:
so far I've worked out that q2 = (pi - pf)2 = pi2 - pf2 - 2pi.pf
ie. q2 = 2p2 - 2p2cos([tex]\theta[/tex])
= 2p2(1-cos([tex]\theta[/tex]))
since the magnitudes of pi and pf are equal.
then I got 1 - cos([tex]\theta[/tex]) = 2sin2([tex]\theta/2[/tex])
by using cos(A+B) = cos(A)cos(B) - sin(A)sin(B) where A = B = [tex]\theta/2[/tex]
then I looked at Fermi's Golden Rule:
[tex]\frac{d\sigma}{d\Omega}[/tex] = ([tex]2\pi[/tex]/[tex]\hbar[/tex])|Mfi|2Df
where the matrix element |Mfi| = [tex]\frac{4g^2\pi\hbar}{q^2 + (mc)^2}[/tex]
which is a result that is given to me in a previous part of the problem.
clearly when used in Fermi's Golden Rule, the square of the matrix element gives 3 terms, one of which is the 1/q4 term I am looking for, but also 2 other terms. Is there a way for me to get rid of the 2 extra terms or am I barking up the wrong tree here?
thanks in advance.