Interpreting scattering wave functions in the presence of energy-dependent interactions

Abstract

In scattering theory, the squared relative wave function $|\phi({\bf q},{\bf r})|^2$ is often interpreted as a weight, due to final-state interactions, describing the probability enhancement for emission with asymptotic relative momentum $q$. An equivalence relation also links the integral of the squared wave function over all coordinate space to the density of states. This relation, which plays an important role in understanding two-particle correlation phenomenology, is altered for the case where the potential is energy dependent, as is assumed in various forms of reaction theory. Here, the modification to the equivalence relation is derived, and it is shown that the squared wave function should be augmented by a additional factor if it is to represent the emission enhancement for final-state interactions. Examples with relativistic vector interactions, e.g., the Coulomb interaction, are presented.