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6.11. More Details on Scattering and Structure 175<br />

The scattering amplitude f describes the angular dependence of the outgoing spherical<br />

wave; its determination is the goal of the scattering experiment.<br />

The connection between differential cross section and scattering amplitude is<br />

given by Eq. (6.2). To verify the relation, we note that for the present case of<br />

one scattering center (N = 1), Eqs. (2.12) and (2.13) give for the differential cross<br />

section<br />

dσ<br />

dΩ<br />

(dN /dΩ)<br />

= .<br />

Fin<br />

The outgoing flux, the number of particles crossing a unit area a at distance r per<br />

unit time, is connected to dN /dΩ by<br />

so that<br />

Fout = dN<br />

da<br />

= dN<br />

r 2 dΩ<br />

dσ<br />

dΩ = r2Fout . (6.77)<br />

Fin<br />

Since the flux is given by the probability density current, the computation of dσ/dΩ<br />

is now easy. For the incident wave, ψ =exp(ikz), we find<br />

Fin = �<br />

2mi |ψ∗ ∇ψ − ψ∇ψ ∗ | = �k<br />

m .<br />

In all directions except forward (0 ◦ ), the scattered wave is given by the second term<br />

in Eq. (6.76) so that<br />

Fout = �k<br />

mr 2 |f(θ, φ)|2 .<br />

With Eq. (6.77), the relation (6.2) between scattering amplitude and cross section<br />

is verified. (60)<br />

In the forward direction, the interference between the incident and the scattered<br />

wave can no longer be neglected. It is necessary for the conservation of flux: The<br />

scattered particles deplete the incident beam, and the scattering in the forward<br />

direction and the total cross section must be related. The relation is called the<br />

optical theorem: The total cross section and the imaginary part of the forward<br />

scattering amplitude are connected by (61)<br />

σtot = 4π<br />

k Imf(0◦ ). (6.78)<br />

60The derivation given here is superficial. A careful treatment can be found in K. Gottfried,<br />

Quantum Mechanics, Benjamin, Reading, Mass., 1966, Subsection 12.2.<br />

61For derivations of the optical theorem, see Park, p. 376; Merzbacher, p. 532; and Messiah,<br />

p. 867.

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