In Theoretical Physics
In mathematical physics, scattering theory is a framework for studying and understanding the interaction or scattering of solutions to partial differential equations. In acoustics, the differential equation is the wave equation, and scattering studies how its solutions, the sound waves, scatter from solid objects or propagate through non-uniform media (such as sound waves, in sea water, coming from a submarine). In the case of classical electrodynamics, the differential equation is again the wave equation, and the scattering of light or radio waves is studied. In quantum mechanics and particle physics, the equations are those of quantum electrodynamics QED, quantum chromodynamics QCD and the Standard Model, the solutions of which correspond to fundamental particles. In quantum chemistry, the solutions correspond to atoms and molecules, governed by the Schrödinger equation.
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