Optical Analysis of Potential Well Resonances

K. W. McVOY; L. HELLER; M. BOLSTERLI

doi:10.1103/RevModPhys.39.245

Optical Analysis of Potential Well Resonances

K. W. McVOY, L. HELLER, and M. BOLSTERLI

Rev. Mod. Phys. 39, 245 – Published 1 January 1967

Abstract

As a contribution toward the understanding of resonant scattering in general, we examine the potential-barrier resonances which occur in a variety of simple one- and two-channel $S$ -wave scattering problems. The models chosen have familiar optical analogs which, together with the appealingly simple analytic properties of their scattering amplitudes, facilitate a unified discussion of such diverse phenomena as the peculiar $S$ -wave "resonances" of a square potential well, the occurrence of "resonance circles" in both elastic and inelastic scattering amplitudes, and the large nonresonant maxima which the descent of the background phase (as a function of energy) can produce in total cross sections.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.39.245

Authors & Affiliations

K. W. McVOY^*

University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin

L. HELLER

Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico

M. BOLSTERLI^*

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota

^*These two authors wish to thank Dr. J. E. Young and Dr. J. C. Mark for the hospitality extended to them at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory during the summer of 1965.