Optical theorem and elastic nucleon scattering

TL;DR

This paper critically examines the optical theorem's assumptions in high-energy elastic nucleon scattering, questioning its validity for hadron forces and emphasizing the need for revised analysis of total cross sections and scattering data at high energies.

Contribution

It highlights the limitations of the optical theorem's derivation for finite-range hadron forces and calls for new analysis methods in high-energy elastic scattering.

Findings

Optical theorem's derivation relies on an assumption unsuitable for hadron forces.

Current conclusions about increasing total cross section with energy need reevaluation.

Analysis of elastic scattering at very low transverse momenta requires new approaches.

Abstract

In the theoretical analysis of high-energy elastic nucleon scattering one starts commonly from the description based on the validity of optical theorem, which allows to derive the value of total cross section directly from the experimentally measured t-dependence of elastic differential cross section. It may be shown, however, that this theorem has been derived on the basis of one assumption that might be regarded perhaps as acceptable for long-range (e.g., Coulomb) forces but must be denoted as quite unacceptable for finite-range hadron forces. Consequently, the conclusions leading to the increase of total cross section with energy at higher collision energies must be newly analyzed. The necessity of new analysis concerns also the derivation of elastic scattering t-dependence at very low transverse momenta from measured data.