Group theory approach to scattering. II: The Euclidean connection (Q1080968): Difference between revisions

It is a pleasure to review an article which starts to bring together diverging lines of reference on what has been called the potential group of scattering systems. It clarifies many concepts not well understood in the first part of the authors' series [ibid. 148, 346-380 (1983; Zbl 0526.22018)], including its essential distinctness from the concept of dynamical algebra of (even the same) system. Several criticisms on their earlier work has been constructively incorporated here [cf. \textit{L. C. Biedenharn} and \textit{A. Stahlhofen}, in the SV International Colloquium on Group Theoretical Methods in Physics, Drexel University, October 1986, World Scientific]. Basically, the ''Euclidean connection'' hinges on being able to write the su(1,1) generators in terms of the Euclidean e(2) generators, and having the scattering system Hamiltonian written in terms of the su(1,1) Casimir; algebraic relations follow for the reflection and transmission amplitudes for scattering states. Perhaps it is remarkable to see a formula due to Bargmann under yet another name (it has been traced as ''Gell-mann's formula'' in elementary particles). It induces representations of so(2,1) from e(2). This opens the door to reconsider the general deformations of Euclidean to semi-simple algebras and groups studied in the little-quoted papers of \textit{C. P. Boyer} and the reviewer [J. Math. Phys. 15, 2096-2101 (1974; Zbl 0293.17008)], where the connection is made for arbitrary dimension on the reals, complex numbers, and quaternions; references to Bargmann's formula may be found there. This paper displays beautifully the Lie-algebraic foundation of the success of the Veneziano model of the early '70s: the ratio of Gamma functions do provide the poles. There is a very aluring universality to this statement, for the one-dimensional examples we have: the Pöschl- Teller, Morse, and several other ones. Other one-dimensional systems, such as the full Pöschl-Teller potential (with \(\sec h^ 2\) and \(\csc h^ 2\) terms) are, on the surface, not included [cf. \textit{A. Frank} and the reviewer, ibid. 26, 973-983 (1985)]. I should also recall that scattering is not only of interest for particles, but for light crossing a refracting impurity; the Hamiltonian there is a function of the phase- space observables that is distinct from the mechanical Hamiltonians, generally quadratic in momentum.