August 7, 2003

PHYSICS 44 MECHANICS
Homework Assignment V
SOLUTIONS

Problem 1
(a) Using the conservation laws of energy and momentum, solve for v1(u; ; ), where
= m2=m1 and
b
u1 = u x
b + sin y
b)
v1 = v1 (cos x
b sin ' y
b)
v2 = v2 (cos ' x

(b) Discuss the number of physical solutions for v1(u; ; ) for < 1 and > 1.
(c) For < 1, show that physical solutions for v1(u; ; ) exist for < arcsin() = max.
Solutions
(a) We combine the conservation laws of momentum and energy
u = v1 cos + v2 cos '
0 = v1 sin v2 cos '
u2 = v12 + v22
to obtain
u2 2 u v1 cos + v21 = 2 v22 =

or
v12 (1 + ) 2 u v1 cos + u2 (1 ) = 0:
Solutions to this quadratic equation are
(v1 )

q
u
2
2
=
cos sin
:
1+

(b) We look at the case < 1 rst. Since

2 sin2 = cos2 1 2
1

u2 v12 ;

< cos2 ;

then (v1)+ and (v1) are positive and are therefore allowed. For the case > 1, on the
other hand, since

2 sin2 = cos2 + 2 1 > cos2 ;

only (v1 )+ is allowed.
(c) For the case < 1, the solutions (v1 ) exist only if 2 sin2 > 0 or
sin2 < 2

< max = arcsin():

Problem 2
Show that the dierential cross section () for the elastic scattering of a particle of
mass m from the repulsive central-force potential U(r) = k=r 2 with a xed force-center at
r = 0 (or an innitely massive target particle) is
() =

22 k
( )
;
2
m u [ (2 )]2 sin

where u is the speed of the incoming projectile particle at r = 1.

Hint :

r ( )
2k
2
b() = p 0
;
where
r
=
:
0
m u2
2 2

Show that

Solutions
The turning point r = for this problem is a solution of the equation
`2
k
E =
+ 2
2
2m

q
`2
k
+
= b2 + r02;
2mE
E

p
where b = `= 2mE is the impact parameter and r02 = k=E = 2k=mu2 is the distance of
closest approach for a head-on collision (for which b = 0).
The deection angle is dened by the integral expression
=

Z 1

(b=r) dr
p 2
:
r 2

We calculate the integral by proceeding with the trigonometric substitution r = sec

(with = =2 when r = 1 and = 0 when r = ) so that
=

Z =2
0

cos

sec tan d
tan
2

:
2

Since = 12 ( ), we obtain
0

= @1 q

b
b2 + r20

1
A

r0 ( )
b() = p
:
2 2

We now proceed with the evaluation of the scattering cross section

b()
() =
sin

db()

:
d

First, we nd
db()
r0
r0 ( )2
2 r0
= p

:
d
(2 2 )3=2
(2 2)3=2
2 2
Hence, we obtain
() =

2 r20 ( )
22 k
( )
=
;
sin (2 2) 2
m u2 [ (2 )] 2 sin

where the expression for r02 = k=E = 2k=mu2 was substituted.

Problem 3
By using the relations tan = sin =( + cos ) and/or sin( ) = sin , where
= m1=m2, show that the relation between the dierential cross section in the CM frame,
(), and the dierential cross section in the LAB frame, (), is
() = ()

1 + cos
:
(1 + 2 cos + 2)3=2

Solutions
The transformation () ! () is dened as
() = ()

sin d
:
sin d

(3.a)

First, by taking the dierential of the relation

tan =

sin
;
+ cos
3

(3.b)

we obtain

1 + cos
d:
( + cos )2

sec2 d =

Since sec2 = tan2 + 1, we use Eq. (3.b) to nd

sec2 =
so that

1 + 2 + 2 cos
;
( + cos )2

d
1 + cos
=
:
d
1 + 2 + 2 cos

(3.c)

Next, we write Eq. (3.b) as

tan = p

sin
sin
=
= F ();
2
+ cos
1 sin

and solve for sin :

sin = q

F ()
1 + F 2()

= p

sin
:
1 + 2 + 2 cos

Hence, we nd
sin
1
= p
:
2
sin
1 + + 2 cos
By combining Eqs. (3.c) and (3.d) into Eq. (3.a), we obtain
() = ()

1 + cos
:
(1 + 2 cos + 2)3=2

(3.d)