Scattering Cross-section Problems in Shankar 19.3.2 and 19.3.3?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on solving problems 19.3.2 and 19.3.3 from Shankar, which involve scattering cross-sections with specific spherically symmetric potentials. Participants express confusion about integrating the potentials and the limits of integration, questioning the role of theta in the equations. One user successfully computes the differential cross-section for the first problem, while others share techniques for tackling the more complex second problem, emphasizing the need for advanced methods like Mathematica. The conversation highlights the challenges of these problems, particularly in relation to nuclear scattering and the use of Compton scattering as a comparison. Overall, the thread underscores the intricate nature of these scattering problems and the various strategies employed to solve them.
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Homework Statement


Problems are Shankar 19.3.2 and 19.3.3 with spherically symmetric potentials V(r)=-V_{0}(r_{0}-r)\theta and V(r)=V_{0}exp(-r_{2}/r^{0}_{2}^{})


Homework Equations


<br /> f\left( \theta \right) = - \frac{{2\mu }}{{\hbar ^2 }}\int\limits_{r_0 }^r {\frac{{\sin qr&#039;}}{q}V\left( {r&#039;} \right)r&#039;dr&#039;} <br />
and
<br /> \frac{{d\sigma }}{{d\Omega }} = \left| {f\left( \theta \right)} \right|^2 <br />



The Attempt at a Solution


Don't I just substitute the potentials for V(r) and integrate? The example in Shankar seemed to do that successfully for the Yukawa potential. What am I missing?
 
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Have you tried it?
 
Yes, I did try. Shankar gives the answer to the first one:
\frac{d\sigma}{d\Omega}= 4r_0^2 \left( {\frac{{\mu V_0 r_0^2 }}{{\hbar ^2 }}} \right)^2 \frac{{\left( {\sin qr_0 - qr_0 \cos qr_0 } \right)^2 }}{{\left( {qr_0 } \right)^6 }}$


Questions that arise from this:
What happened to \theta?
What are the appropriate limits of integration - r_{0} to \infty?
 
why to study the structure of nuclear scattering is often used as Compton scattering without using the other?
 
I was just working through Shankar 19.3.3 and it's seriously a tough problem (if you don't use mathematica.) I thought it might be nice to put my hints on here.

For finding ∂σ/∂Ω, I used the following tricks (in the order listed):

1. Get rid of the r in the integrand by saying r sin(qr) = ∂/∂q[cos(qr)]

2. Write the cos as the sum of exponentials

3. Combine the two exponential integrals

4. Complete the square for the exponential integral

5. Change variables to turn it into a gaussian integral

And then to find σ

6. Use shankar's hint to change the integral over q into an integral over cosθ
I think it officially qualifies as a "tricky" problem.

13.3.2 just requires you to evaluate a limit using L'Hopital's rule--it's not nearly as challenging.
 
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