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BY-NC-ND 3.0 license Open Access Published by De Gruyter Open Access March 31, 2012

Time-delay of classical and quantum scattering processes: a conceptual overview and a general definition

  • Massimiliano Sassoli de Bianchi EMAIL logo
From the journal Open Physics

Abstract

We present a step by step introduction to the notion of time-delay in classical and quantum mechanics, with the aim of clarifying its foundation at a conceptual level. In doing so, we motivate the introduction of the concepts of “fuzzy” and “free-flight” sojourn times that we use to provide the most general possible definition for the quantum time-delay, valid for simple and multichannel scattering systems, with or without conditions on the observation of the scattering particle, and for incoming wave packets whose energy can be smeared out or sharply peaked (fixed energy). We conclude our conceptual analysis by presenting what we think is the right interpretation of the concepts of sojourn and delay times in quantum mechanics, explaining why, in ultimate analysis, they should not be called “times.”

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Published Online: 2012-3-31
Published in Print: 2012-4-1

© 2012 Versita Warsaw

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