Ericson fluctuations explained

Ericson fluctuations constitute one of the most characteristic features of quantum chaotic scattering in the regime of strongly overlapping resonances such as a compound nucleus.[1] [2] [3] These fluctuations were predicted in 1960 by Torleif Ericson in two seminal articles,[4] [5] [6] further developed in 1963,[7] based on the same statistical assumptions as those used by E. Wigner, C. E. Porter and R. G. Thomas to describe generic properties of resonances in long-lived compound nuclear systems.[8] [9] [10] In the present case the fluctuations occur in the "continuum" regime for which a large number of such resonances overlap coherently, owing to the short lifetime of the compound nucleus. At the time it was believed that this would lead to a structure-less behavior. Ericson realized that the opposite was the case with strong, random fluctuations.[11] [12]

The Ericson fluctuations were first observed in 1964 by P. Von Brentano et al.[13] in nuclear physics giving rise to a vigorous theoretical and experimental programme. They have the curious feature of being both reproducible and random at the same time.[14] The fluctuations are universal and have later been observed in many other areas such as photoionization of hydrogen, uni-molecular dissociation (physical chemistry),[15] perturbed atomic and molecular systems and micro wave billiards.[16] [17]

Present theoretical descriptions of chaotic quantum scattering confirm the predicted properties of the Ericson fluctuations. The universality of the Ericson fluctuations are thus very well established.

References

  1. Book: Borisenko. Victor E.. What is What in the Nanoworld: A Handbook on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. Ossicini. Stefano. John Wiley & Sons. 2013. 978-3-527-64838-2. en.
  2. Web site: "Compound-nucleus model". Encyclopedia Britannica. 2021-11-16. www.britannica.com. en.
  3. Mitchell. G. E.. Richter. A.. Weidenmüller. H. A.. 2010. Random matrices and chaos in nuclear physics: Nuclear reactions. Reviews of Modern Physics. en. 82. 4. 2845–2901. 10.1103/RevModPhys.82.2845. 1001.2422. 2010RvMP...82.2845M . 118607709. 0034-6861.
  4. Ericson . Torleif . 1960 . Fluctuations of Nuclear Cross Sections in the "Continuum" Region . Physical Review Letters . en . 5 . 9 . 430–431 . 10.1103/PhysRevLett.5.430 . 1960PhRvL...5..430E . 0031-9007.
  5. Book: Stroke, H. Henry . The Physical Review: The first hundred years . Springer Science & Business Media . 1999 . 978-1-56396-188-5 . 249 . en.
  6. Ericson . Torleif . 1960 . The statistical model and nuclear level densities . Advances in Physics . en . 9 . 36 . 425–511 . 10.1080/00018736000101239 . 1960AdPhy...9..425E . 0001-8732.
  7. Ericson. Torleif. 1963. A theory of fluctuations in nuclear cross sections. Annals of Physics. en. 23. 3. 390–414. 10.1016/0003-4916(63)90261-6. 1963AnPhy..23..390E .
  8. Weidenmüller. H. A.. Mitchell. G. E.. 2009. Random matrices and chaos in nuclear physics: Nuclear structure. Reviews of Modern Physics. en. 81. 2. 539–589. 10.1103/RevModPhys.81.539. 0807.1070. 2009RvMP...81..539W . 16847809. 0034-6861.
  9. Porter. C. E.. Thomas. R. G.. 1956. Fluctuations of Nuclear Reaction Widths. Physical Review. en. 104. 2. 483–491. 10.1103/PhysRev.104.483. 1956PhRv..104..483P . 0031-899X.
  10. Ericson. T. Mayer-Kuckuk. T. 1966. Fluctuations in Nuclear Reactions. Annual Review of Nuclear Science. en. 16. 1. 183–206. 10.1146/annurev.ns.16.120166.001151. 5334731. 1966ARNPS..16..183E. 0066-4243. free.
  11. Book: Blatt. John M.. Theoretical Nuclear Physics. Weisskopf. Victor F.. Springer New York. 1979. 978-1-4612-9961-5. New York, NY. en. 10.1007/978-1-4612-9959-2.
  12. Web site: This week's citation classic. 2021-11-16. garfield.library.upenn.edu.
  13. Von Brentano . P. . Ernst . J. . Häusser . O. . Mayer-Kuckuk . T. . Richter . A. . Von Witsch . W. . 1964 . Statistical fluctuations in the cross sections of the reactions Cl35 (p, α)S32 and Cl37 (p, α)S34 . Physics Letters . en . 9 . 1 . 48–51 . 10.1016/0031-9163(64)90210-0 . 1964PhL.....9...48V . 0031-9163.
  14. Weidenmüller. Hans A.. 1990. Ericson fluctuations versus conductance fluctuations. Nuclear Physics A. en. 518. 1–2. 1–12. 10.1016/0375-9474(90)90531-P.
  15. Reid . Scott . Reisler. Hanna . Unimolecular Reaction of NO2: Overlapping Resonances, Fluctuations, and the Transition State . Journal of Chemical Physics . 1996 . 100 . 2 . 474-487 . 10.1021/jp952843w.
  16. Guhr. Thomas. Müller–Groeling. Axel. Weidenmüller. Hans A.. 1998. Random-matrix theories in quantum physics: common concepts. Physics Reports. en. 299. 4–6. 189–425. 10.1016/S0370-1573(97)00088-4. cond-mat/9707301. 1998PhR...299..189G . 119052579.
  17. Stöckmann. Hans-Jürgen. 2010. Microwave billiards and quantum chaos. Scholarpedia. en. 5. 10. 10243. 10.4249/scholarpedia.10243. 2010SchpJ...510243S . 1941-6016. free .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Ericson fluctuations".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.