Talk:Elastic scattering

Merge with elastic collision
I think these two pages should be merged. Please continue the discussion at Talk:Elastic_collision Flying fish 02:14, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

I disagree with such a merge.
I personally see a reason behind keeping Elastic Collision and Elastic Scattering as distinct pages. While there definitely are paraellels between the two processes, elastic scattering is inherently a quantum process whereas elastic collision is within the realm of Newtonian mechanics. Rephrasing this distinction, elastic scattering is a sub-microscopic, relativistic process whereas elastic collision is primarily a macroscopic, sub-relativistic process. Approaching the one model from the vantage of the other often leads to incorrect description of phenomena and so-called paradoxical behavior. Thus separating the models by having two different pages should be pedagogically accurate.

Billyziege 21:04, 8 March 2007 (UTC)Billyziege

I also disagree with merging these two pages
In fact, "Elastic Scattering" is also a term in high energy physics which relates not only to electron-atom scattering at the keV level, but also to highly relativistic scattering of almost any two subatomic particles. I would propose to expand the current page to include information on this, rather than merging it with the more Elastic Collision. Michael Schmitt 03:57, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

Contradicion
"the scattering intensity is expressed as a function of the momentum transfer defined as the difference between the momentum vector of the incident electron and that of the scattered electron." contradicts: "the energy of the incident photon or particle (electron, positron, or neutron) is conserved" Need to state clearly that the first is then not elastic.

Is the scattering intensity a scalar or vector quantity? Mechanicleese (talk) 21:45, 10 December 2012 (UTC)

Huh?
"In this case, the scattering intensity is proportional to the fourth power of the reciprocal wavelength of the incident photon."

What does that mean? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.23.116.46 (talk) 06:30, 7 February 2009 (UTC)

Incident Particles
The term incident particles is used here and other pages, and I have not been able to find a definition for that term anywhere in wikipedia. Someone should describe what that means in an appropriate page, and then link to it from this page. Pavon (talk) 00:41, 24 January 2011 (UTC)