Introduction to Scattering

Abstract

Scattering is important for several reasons: lots of physics was discovered by scattering one thing off another. Rutherford and his students discovered atomic nuclei by scattering alpha particles off gold foil; Davisson and Germer discovered the wave nature of electrons by scattering them off a nickel block, thus, ushering in the era of quantum mechanics (QM) . Today, the most advanced quantum theories are tested by scattering (aka “colliding”) particles off each other, and measuring the angles and energies of particles in the shower of debris that results. (Scattering theory is also called “collision theory.”) Furthermore, one-dimensional (1D) scattering essentially includes the topic of tunneling , which is of great practical importance. Tunneling has many experimental applications, such as the scanning tunneling microscope , and everyday practical uses, such as high-frequency tunnel diodes.