Paper 2, Section II, 36B

Applications of Quantum Mechanics
Part II, 2021

(a) The ss-wave solution ψ0\psi_{0} for the scattering problem of a particle of mass mm and momentum k\hbar k has the asymptotic form

ψ0(r)Ar[sin(kr)+g(k)cos(kr)]\psi_{0}(r) \sim \frac{A}{r}[\sin (k r)+g(k) \cos (k r)]

Define the phase shift δ0\delta_{0} and verify that tanδ0=g(k)\tan \delta_{0}=g(k).

(b) Define the scattering amplitude ff. For a spherically symmetric potential of finite range, starting from σT=f2dΩ\sigma_{T}=\int|f|^{2} d \Omega, derive the expression

σT=4πk2l=0(2l+1)sin2δl\sigma_{T}=\frac{4 \pi}{k^{2}} \sum_{l=0}^{\infty}(2 l+1) \sin ^{2} \delta_{l}

giving the cross-section σT\sigma_{T} in terms of the phase shifts δl\delta_{l} of the partial waves.

(c) For g(k)=k/Kg(k)=-k / K with K>0K>0, show that a bound state exists and compute its energy. Neglecting the contributions from partial waves with l>0l>0, show that

σT4πK2+k2\sigma_{T} \approx \frac{4 \pi}{K^{2}+k^{2}}

(d) For g(k)=γ/(K0k)g(k)=\gamma /\left(K_{0}-k\right) with K0>0,γ>0K_{0}>0, \gamma>0 compute the ss-wave contribution to σT\sigma_{T}. Working to leading order in γK0\gamma \ll K_{0}, show that σT\sigma_{T} has a local maximum at k=K0k=K_{0}. Interpret this fact in terms of a resonance and compute its energy and decay width.