Imaging of spatial many-body wave functions via linear momentum measurements

2014

Phys. Rev. A

We consider the theory of multiple-particle fragmentation processes in the light of modern multihit position-sensitive detection. First we give a new formulation of time-independent many-body scattering theory as a direct generalisation of standard text-book two-body potential scattering but in such a way as to emphasise position rather than momentum detection. Noteworthy is that classical asymptotic motion of fragments is shown to emerge from this quantum-mechanical timeindependent theory and enables the definition of a classical time parameter. This in turn allows a transition to be made to a time-dependent scattering theory, even in the case where all Hamiltonians are time-independent. Such a time-dependent description is the basis of the imaging theorem, which connects position detection to momentum detection.

Section: B Time-dependent Transition Matrix Element and The Imaging supporting

confidence: 52%

Scattering theory, multiparticle detection, and time

2014

Phys. Rev. A

“…Our goal in this paper is to extend the IT to electric-and magnetic-field extraction and positionsensitive detection as widely used in cold-target recoil-ion momentum spectrometry (COLTRIMS) [11][12][13] and related reaction microscopes. One should compare here with the elegant molecular-fragmentation experiments of Helm and coworkers [14] that employ purely kinematic extraction and detection methods (cf also [15]). Modern channel-plate detection is intrinsically position sensitive with no discrimination by the detector of the energy of a scattered fragment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reaction imaging in uniform electric and magnetic fields

J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys.

2014

“…If the detector is moving fast enough it will always catch up with all the reaction fragments going away from you, even those that depart along the z -axis. The technique works for both neutral and charged particle extraction and has actually been implemented and refined by Helm and coworkers over the past decade to study laser dissociation of H 3H 3  [11]. If the H atom is released with a momentum p i relative to the H + , then it will strike a laboratory detector located at z 0 f > with momentum p p p 2 0 .)…”

Section: Detection Enhancement Via a CM Momentum Boostmentioning

confidence: 99%

Classical hallmarks of macroscopic quantum wave function propagation

J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys.

2017

The precise connection between quantum wave functions and the underlying classical trajectories often is presented rather vaguely by practitioners of quantum mechanics. Here we demonstrate, with simple examples, that the imaging theorem (IT) based on the semiclassical propagator provides a precise connection. Wave functions are preserved out to macroscopic distances but the variables, position and momentum of these functions describe classical trajectories. We show that the IT, based on an overtly time-dependent picture, provides a strategy alternative to standard scattering theory with which to compare experimental results to theory.