- #1
jcap
- 170
- 12
From the hyperphysics site http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/elacol2.html#c1 on classical elastic collisions I see that if an incoming particle of mass ##m_1## with velocity ##v_1## collides into a stationary target particle of mass ##m_2## then the velocity of the target particle after the collision, ##v_2'##, is given by:
$$v_2'=\frac{2m_1}{m_1+m_2}v_1.$$
Thus as the incoming particle mass ##m_1\rightarrow \infty## the velocity of the target particle ##v_2' \rightarrow 2 v_1##.
Does this behavior carry over to the case of quantum elastic collisions or does a very heavy incoming particle just fail to interact with a light target due to the large difference in masses?
$$v_2'=\frac{2m_1}{m_1+m_2}v_1.$$
Thus as the incoming particle mass ##m_1\rightarrow \infty## the velocity of the target particle ##v_2' \rightarrow 2 v_1##.
Does this behavior carry over to the case of quantum elastic collisions or does a very heavy incoming particle just fail to interact with a light target due to the large difference in masses?