Application of the diffraction trace formula to the three disk scattering system

Abstract

The diffraction trace formula ({\em Phys. Rev. Lett.} {\bf 73}, 2304 (1994)) and spectral determinant are tested on the open three disk scattering system. The system contains a generic and exponentially growing number of diffraction periodic orbits. In spite of this it is shown that even the scattering resonances with large imaginary part can be reproduced semiclassicaly. The non-trivial interplay of the diffraction periodic orbits with the usual geometrical orbits produces the fine structure of the complicated spectrum of scattering resonances, which are beyond the resolution of the conventional periodic orbit theory.