Index of refraction of gases for matter waves: Effect of the motion of the gas particles on the calculation of the index

Caroline Champenois, Marion Jacquey, Steven Lepoutre, Matthias Büchner, Gérard Trénec, and Jacques Vigué
Phys. Rev. A 77, 013621 – Published 25 January 2008

Abstract

Two different formulas relating the index of refraction n of gases for atom waves to the scattering amplitude have been published. We show here that these two formulas are not consistent with the definition of the total scattering cross section while the formula developed by one of us [C. Champenois, Ph.D. thesis, Université P. Sabatier, 1999 (unpublished)] is in agreement with this standard knowledge. We discuss this result, in particular in the neutron case for which such an index was first introduced. We finally evaluate the index of refraction as a function of well-known quantities and we discuss the order of magnitude of the ratio of (n1)/nt, where nt is the gas density.

  • Received 8 November 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.77.013621

©2008 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Caroline Champenois

  • Physique des Interactions Ioniques et Moléculaires (CNRS UMR 6633), Université de Provence, Centre de Saint Jérôme, Case C21, 13397 Marseille Cedex 20, France

Marion Jacquey, Steven Lepoutre, Matthias Büchner, Gérard Trénec, and Jacques Vigué*

  • Laboratoire Collisions Agrégats Réactivité UMR 5589, CNRS—Université de Toulouse-UPS, IRSAMC, Toulouse, France

  • *jacques.vigue@irsamc.ups-tlse.fr

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Vol. 77, Iss. 1 — January 2008

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