A particle scatters quantum mechanically off a spherically symmetric potential V(r). In the l=0 sector, and assuming ℏ2/2m=1, the radial wavefunction u(r) satisfies
−dr2d2u+V(r)u=k2u
and u(0)=0. The asymptotic behaviour of u, for large r, is
u(r)∼C(S(k)eikr−e−ikr)
where C is a constant. Show that if S(k) is analytically continued to complex k, then
S(k)S(−k)=1 and S(k)∗S(k∗)=1
Deduce that for real k,S(k)=e2iδ0(k) for some real function δ0(k), and that δ0(k)=−δ0(−k).
For a certain potential,
S(k)=(k−iλ)(k−3iλ)(k+iλ)(k+3iλ)
where λ is a real, positive constant. Evaluate the scattering length a and the total cross section 4πa2.
Briefly explain the significance of the zeros of S(k).