Quantum Collision Theory of Nonrelativistic Particles

This book introduces the scattering theory of nonrelativistic systems, a standard tool for interpreting collision experiments with quantum particles at energies not too high. The goal is to explore the interaction between particles and their properties. The authors cover the basics of the theory through a detailed discussion of elastic scattering using the stationary Schrödinger equation and the Lippmann-Schwinger equation. These remarks are supplemented by a consideration of the time-dependent formulation of scattering theory. Selection rules for effective cross sections due to symmetries conditioned by the structure of the interparticle forces and the scattering of spin-polarized particles are discussed. The foundations for the treatment of inelastic processes are laid and explained by application to three-body and nucleotransfer processes.