Delbrück scattering, a quantum phenomenon, was better calculated, thus eliminating a long-standing disagreement between theory and experiment.
The Rayleigh scattering mechanism, in which light is reflected from electrons attached to atoms, is what gives the sky its color. Quantum theory allows for a similar phenomenon called Delbrück scattering, which occurs when photons are deflected from the electric field surrounding atomic nuclei. Now presented are these quantum deflection calculations by Jonas Sommerfeldt of the Technical University of Braunschweig in Germany and colleagues. The findings are expected to aid the analysis of nuclear photon scattering research, which could improve understanding of nuclear structure.
Quantum theory states that particle-antiparticle pairs going in and out of existence actually fill the empty space that is not empty. Delbrück scattering occurs when photons come into contact with these pairs in the electrostatic field of a nucleus.
The Delbrück cross section is a measure that encodes the probability of this process occurring. For heavy nuclei, the values of this amount obtained from theoretical calculations and those deduced from experimental data have been different for at least fifty years.
A method for calculating the Delbrück cross section, which is sensitive for various photon energies and nuclei, was devised by Sommerfeldt and coworkers.
The main innovation is to use a mathematical formula that can account for the often overlooked contributions to the cross section. The researchers used Delbrück scattering of high-energy photons by plutonium nuclei to demonstrate their technique. Unlike other calculations, this calculation produces a cross section that matches the experimental results, so the aforementioned problem is solved. According to the research team, quantum electrodynamics, the fundamental theory describing how light and matter interact, must be precisely tested using this computational approach.
Source: physics.aps.org/articles/v16/s114
📩 10/08/2023 11:49