BORN APPROXIMATION

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If we introduce the momentum transfer q=kk we nally get f ( , ) = 2m 4 d3 x eiqx V (x) (2.37) (2.36)

Here, as before, and determine the direction of k , the momentum of the outgoing particle. The expression d3 x eiqx V (x) is related to the Fourier of V (x) transform V (q) = V 1 2
3 2

d3 x eiqx V (x)

(2.38)

where the prefactor is conventional (one 2 in the denominator for each spatial dimension). Thus the scattering amplitude is proportional to the Fourier transform of the scattering potential. So if an experimentalist measures the scattering cross section as a function of angle then Equation (2.5) gives the scattering amplitude and its inverse Fourier transform gives the scattering potential. Not bad! We will have more to say about the momentum transfer q but for now we simply state that the wavelength = h/|q| is the one that determines how small a detail of the target (the probed object) we can resolve, as was mentioned at the beginning of Section 2.1.

2.2.5 Electron-Atom Scattering

As an example we will consider electron-atom scattering, a process of great importance presently and historically. Assume that the incident electron is a structureless point particle with an energy E that is much larger than the ionization potential of the atom. Let the atom have atomic number Z, a structureless point charge Ze 3 (x) due to the atomic nucleus, and a charge density (x) due to its atomic electrons. Let x be the coordinate of the incident electron. It will be subject to a potential from the atom V (x) = Ze2 + Ze2 |x| (x )d3 x = Ze2 |x x | t (x )d3 x |x x | (2.39)

The rst term represents the potential due to the nucleus, the second term represents the potential from the atomic electrons, and t (x) is the total charge density of the atom. We have factored out Ze2 from the integrands so (x) d3 x = 1 and t (x) d3 x = 0 (2.40)