- #1
SredniVashtar
- 219
- 62
In "Concepts of Modern Physics", 4th ed., Arthur Beiser obtains the following Rutherford formula
[tex]
N[\theta ] =
\frac
{
\left( \frac{q^2}{8 \pi \epsilon_0} \right)^2
\left( n d Z^2 \right)
N_0
}
{
T^2 \left( r^2 \sin ^4 \left( \frac{\theta}{2} \right) \right)
}
[/tex]
relating the number of alpha particles detected per unit area to the angle of scattering [tex]\theta[/tex]. Here, d is the thickness of the foil, n is the number of gold atoms per unit volume, T is the kinetic energy of the alpha particles, r is the distance target-screen and [tex]N_0[/tex] is the total number of alpha particles that strike the foil during the experiment.
The number of particles per unit area around the direction at an angle [tex]\theta[/tex] is inversely proportional to the fourth power of the sin of [tex]\frac{\theta}{2}[/tex].
My problem is that I don't understand why [tex]N\left(\theta\right)[/tex] diverges when [tex]\theta[/tex] goes to 0. Shouldn't I get a finite number, smaller than [tex]N_0[/tex], of particles per unit area ?
What am I missing?
[tex]
N[\theta ] =
\frac
{
\left( \frac{q^2}{8 \pi \epsilon_0} \right)^2
\left( n d Z^2 \right)
N_0
}
{
T^2 \left( r^2 \sin ^4 \left( \frac{\theta}{2} \right) \right)
}
[/tex]
relating the number of alpha particles detected per unit area to the angle of scattering [tex]\theta[/tex]. Here, d is the thickness of the foil, n is the number of gold atoms per unit volume, T is the kinetic energy of the alpha particles, r is the distance target-screen and [tex]N_0[/tex] is the total number of alpha particles that strike the foil during the experiment.
The number of particles per unit area around the direction at an angle [tex]\theta[/tex] is inversely proportional to the fourth power of the sin of [tex]\frac{\theta}{2}[/tex].
My problem is that I don't understand why [tex]N\left(\theta\right)[/tex] diverges when [tex]\theta[/tex] goes to 0. Shouldn't I get a finite number, smaller than [tex]N_0[/tex], of particles per unit area ?
What am I missing?