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The Born-Oppenheimer approximation in scattering theory

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

We analyze the Schrödinger equation i𝜖 ¬<sup>2</sup>â /â tΨ = H(𝜖)Ψ, where H(â ¬) = - f24 Î x + h(X) is the hamiltonian of a molecular system consisting of nuclei with masses of order 𝜖¬<sup>-4</sup> and electrons with masses of order 1. The Born-Oppenheimer approximation consists of the adiabatic approximation to the motion of electrons and the semiclassical approximation to the time evolution of nuclei. The quantum propagator associated with this Schrödinger Equation is exp(-itH(â ¬)/â ¬<sup>2</sup>). We use the Born-Oppenheimer method to find the leading order asymptotic expansion in â ¬ to exp(_it~(t:»Ψ, i.e., we find Ψ(t) such that: (1) We show that if H(𝜖) describes a diatomic Molecule with smooth short range potentials, then the estimate (1) is uniform in time; hence the leading order approximation to the wave operators can be constructed. We also comment on the generalization of our method to polyatomic molecules and to Coulomb systems.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Ph. D.
Level thesis:degree_level
doctoral
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Mathematical Physics
Department dc:contributor.department
Mathematical Physics
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
1994

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Kargol, Armin
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Hagedorn, George A.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Bowden, Robert L.
  • Klaus, Martin
  • Slawny, Joseph
  • Zweifel, Paul F.

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright
Language dc:language.iso
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-03022006-093405
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/37449

Chain of custody

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Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
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citation

Kargol, Armin. The Born-Oppenheimer approximation in scattering theory. doctoral thesis, Virginia Tech, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/37449