English

Dirac-Foldy term and the electromagnetic polarizability of the neutron

Nuclear Theory 2008-11-26 v1 High Energy Physics - Phenomenology

Abstract

We reconsider the Dirac-Foldy contribution μ2/m\mu^2/m to the neutron electric polarizability. Using a Dirac equation approach to neutron-nucleus scattering, we review the definitions of Compton continuum (αˉ\bar{\alpha}), classical static (αEn\alpha^n_E), and Schr\"{o}dinger (αSch\alpha_{Sch}) polarizabilities and discuss in some detail their relationship. The latter αSch\alpha_{Sch} is the value of the neutron electric polarizability as obtained from an analysis using the Schr\"{o}dinger equation. We find in particular αSch=αˉμ2/m\alpha_{Sch} = \bar{\alpha} - \mu^2/m , where μ\mu is the magnitude of the magnetic moment of a neutron of mass mm. However, we argue that the static polarizability αEn\alpha^n_E is correctly defined in the rest frame of the particle, leading to the conclusion that twice the Dirac-Foldy contribution should be added to αSch\alpha_{Sch} to obtain the static polarizability αEn\alpha^n_E.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.nucl-th/9610028,
  title  = {Dirac-Foldy term and the electromagnetic polarizability of the neutron},
  author = {M. Bawin and S. A. Coon},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:nucl-th/9610028},
  year   = {2008}
}

Comments

11 pages, RevTeX, to appear in Physical Review C