BORN APPROXIMATION

61

Substitution of Equation (2.47) in Equation (2.46) gives f ( , ) = with F(q) = d3 x (x) eiqx (2.49) 2mZe2 q2 d3 x eiqx [ 3 (x) (x)] = 2mZe2 [1 F(q)] q2 (2.48)

the Fourier transform of the charge density (x) of the atomic electrons. F(q) is called the Form Factor of the atomic electrons. The Form Factor of the nuclear charge, assumed to be a point particle without structure (that is a particle with a charge and mass distribution proportional to 3 (x)) is apparently 1. The momentum transfer squared can be calculated as q2 = q2 (k k )2 = (k kx/|x|)2 = k2 2k k x/|x| + k2 = 2k2 2k2 cos
2 1 = 4k2 sin2 1 2 = 8mE sin 2

(2.50)

with the scattering angle, that is the angle between k and k , or because according to Equation (2.32) k is parallel to x, the angle between k and x. E is the energy of the incident electron and m is the electron mass. The Form Factor F(q) can be calculated as follows. Let r = |x| and assume that (x) is spherically symmetric and thus only a function of r. Choose the z-axis along q so that q x = qr cos with the angle between q and x. The Form Factor Equation (2.49) can be calculated using spherical coordinates r, , F(q) = r2 dr dcos d (r) eiqr cos
0 0

= 2 = 2 = 4 q

r2 dr (r)

eiqr cos iqr

+1 1

eiqr eiqr r2 dr (r) iqr r dr (r) sin qr (2.51)

To gain further insight into the answer we assume as an example the spherically symmetric Gaussian charge density for the atomic electrons (r) = 1 2 2 3 e(r /a ) (a ) (2.52)