1. PHYS 3446 – Lecture #3 Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008 Dr. Andrew Brandt
Rutherford Scattering with Coulomb force
Scattering Cross Section
Differential Cross Section of Rutherford Scattering
Measurement of Cross Sections
***Don’t forget radiation training!!!
***Please turn in HW
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008
PHYS 3446, Fall 2008
Andrew Brandt

2. Rutherford Scattering
From the solution for b, we can learn the following
For fixed b, E and Z’
The scattering is larger for a larger value of Z.
Since Coulomb potential is stronger with larger Z.
For fixed b, Z and Z’
The scattering angle is larger when E is smaller.
Since the speed of the low energy particle is smaller
The particle spends more time in the potential, suffering greater deflection
For fixed Z, Z’, and E
The scattering angle is larger for smaller impact parameter b
Since the closer the incident particle is to the nucleus, the stronger Coulomb force it feels
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008
PHYS 3446, Fall 2008
Andrew Brandt

3. What do we learn from scattering?
Scattering of a particle in a potential is completely determined when we know both
The impact parameter, b, and
The energy of the incident particle, E
For a fixed energy, the deflection is defined by
The impact parameter, b.
What do we need to perform a scattering experiment?
Incident flux of beam particles with known E
Device that can measure number of scattered particles at various angle, q.
Measurements of the number of scattered particles reflect
Impact parameters of the incident particles
The effective size of the scattering center
By measuring the scattering angle q, we can learn about the potential or the forces between the target and the projectile
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008
PHYS 3446, Fall 2008
Andrew Brandt

4. Scattering Cross Section
All these land here
N0: The number of particles incident on the target foil per unit area per unit time.
Any incident particles entering with impact parameter b and b+db will scatter to the angle q and q-dq.
In other words, they scatter into the solid angle dW (=2psinqdq).
So the number of particles scattered into the solid angle dW per unit time is 2pN0bdb.
Note:have assumed thin foil, and large separation between nuclei—why?
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008
PHYS 3446, Fall 2008
Andrew Brandt

5. Scattering Cross Section
For a central potential
Such as Coulomb potential
Which has spherical symmetry
The scattering center presents an effective transverse cross-sectional area of
For the particles to scatter into q and q+dq
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008
PHYS 3446, Fall 2008
Andrew Brandt

6. Scattering Cross Section
In more generalized cases, Ds depends on both q & f.
With a spherical symmetry, f can be integrated out:
Why negative?
Since the deflection and change of b are in opposite direction!!
What is the dimension of the differential cross section?
Differential
Cross Section
reorganize
Area!!
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008
PHYS 3446, Fall 2008
Andrew Brandt

7. Scattering Cross Section
femptobarn
For a central potential, measuring the yield as a function of q (the differential cross section) is equivalent to measuring the entire effect of the scattering
So what is the physical meaning of the differential cross section?
Measurement of yield as a function of specific experimental variables
This is equivalent to measuring the probability of occurrence of a physical process in a specific kinematic phase space
Cross sections are measured in the unit of barns:
Where does this come from?
picobarn
nanobarn
Cross sectional area of a typical nucleus!
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008
PHYS 3446, Fall 2008
Andrew Brandt

8. Total Cross Section
Total cross section is the integration of the differential cross section over the entire solid angle, W:
Total cross section represents the effective size of the scattering center integrated over all possible impact parameters (and consequently all possible scattering angles)
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008
PHYS 3446, Fall 2008
Andrew Brandt

9. Cross Section of Rutherford Scattering
The impact parameter in Rutherford scattering is
Thus,
Differential cross section of Rutherford scattering is
what happened?
can you say “trig identity?” sin(2x)=2sin(x) cos(x)
plot/applets
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008
PHYS 3446, Fall 2008
Andrew Brandt

10. Rutherford Scattering Cross Section
Let’s plug in the numbers
ZAu=79
ZHe=2
For E=10keV
Differential cross section of Rutherford scattering
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008
PHYS 3446, Fall 2008
Andrew Brandt

11. Total X-Section of Rutherford Scattering
To obtain the total cross section of Rutherford scattering, one integrates the differential cross section over all q:
What is the result of this integration?
Infinity!!
Does this make sense?
Yes
Why?
Since the Coulomb force’s range is infinite (particle with very large impact parameter still contributes to integral through very small scattering angle)
What would be the sensible thing to do?
Integrate to a cut-off angle since after certain distance the force is too weak to impact the scattering. (q=q0>0); note this is sensible since alpha particles far away don’t even see charge of nucleus due to screening effects.
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008
PHYS 3446, Fall 2008
Andrew Brandt

12. Measuring Cross Sections
Rutherford scattering experiment
Used a collimated beam of a particles emitted from Radon
A thin Au foil target
A scintillating glass screen with ZnS phosphor deposit
Telescope to view limited area of solid angle
Telescope only needs to move along q not f. Why?
Due to the spherical symmetry, scattering only depends on q not f.
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008
PHYS 3446, Fall 2008
Andrew Brandt

13. Measuring Cross Sections
With the flux of N0 per unit area per second
Any a particles in range b to b+db will be scattered into q to q-dq
The telescope aperture limits the measurable area to
How could they have increased the rate of measurement?
By constructing an annular telescope
By how much would it increase?
2p/df
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008
PHYS 3446, Fall 2008
Andrew Brandt

14. Measuring Cross Sections
Fraction of incident particles (N0) approaching the target in the small area Ds=bdfdb at impact parameter b is dn/N0.
so dn particles scatter into R2dW, the aperture of the telescope
This fraction is the same as
The sum of Ds over all N nuclear centers throughout the foil divided by the total area (S) of the foil.
Or, in other words, the probability for incident particles to enter within the N areas divided by the probability of hitting the foil. This ratio can be expressed as
Eq. 1.39
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008
PHYS 3446, Fall 2008
Andrew Brandt

15. Measuring Cross Sections
For a foil with thickness t, mass density r, atomic weight A:
Since from what we have learned previously
The number of a scattered into the detector angle (q,f) is
A0: Avogadro’s number of atoms per mol
Eq. 1.40
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008
PHYS 3446, Fall 2008
Andrew Brandt

16. Measuring Cross Sections
Detector acceptance
Number of detected particles
Projectile particle flux
Density of the target particles
Scattering cross section
This is a general expression for any scattering process, independent of the theory
This gives an observed counts per second
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008
PHYS 3446, Fall 2008
Andrew Brandt

17. Example Cross Section: Jet +X
Inclusive jet production cross section as a function of transverse energy
triumph of
QCD
what if there were
an excess at high
energy?
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008
PHYS 3446, Fall 2008
Andrew Brandt

18. Assignment #2
Plot the differential cross section of the Rutherford scattering as a function of the scattering angle q for three sensible choices of the lower limit of the angle
Compute the total cross section of the Rutherford scattering in unit of barns for your cut-off angles
5 points extra credit if you are one of first three people to me an electronic version of a figure showing Rutherford 1/sin^4(x/2) angular dependence.
Assignment # 2 is due Wednesday, Sept. 10
Must have rad training done by then as well
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008
PHYS 3446, Fall 2008
Andrew Brandt