Scattering Length

Single parameter that encapsulates low-energy quantum scattering when details of the potential no longer matter.

Specifications & Metrics

type

Interactions & Gases

Core Principles & Analysis

• In quantum mechanics, the scattering length describes low-energy scattering.
• It encodes the phase shift of the outgoing spherical wave at small wave number.
• For potentials decaying faster than 1/r³, low-energy scattering becomes universal and is fixed by the scattering length alone.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Scattering length