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Topic 11 of 12

Scattering

Scattering theory describes how a beam of particles is deflected by a potential — the primary way we probe subatomic structure experimentally.

Types of Scattering

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Partial Wave

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Phase Shifts

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Born Approximation

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Key Takeaways

Scattering experiments are the primary experimental probe of subatomic potentials
The partial wave expansion decomposes a scattering wave into angular momentum components
Phase shifts encode all of the information a potential imprints on a scattered wave
The Born approximation treats the potential perturbatively for weak scattering