Mathematical Scattering Theory

Preliminary facts Basic concepts of scattering theory Further properties of the WO Scattering for relatively smooth perturbations The general setup in stationary scattering theory Scattering for perturbations of trace class type Properties of the scattering matrix (SM) The spectral shift function (SSF) and the trace formula

The main subject of this book is applications of methods of scattering theory to differential operators, primarily the Schrodinger operator. There are two different trends in scattering theory for differential operators. The first one relies on the abstract scattering theory. The second one is almost independent of it. In this approach the abstract theory is replaced by a concrete investigation of the corresponding differential equation. In this book both of these trends are presented. The first half of this book begins with the summary of the main results of the general scattering theory of the previous book by the author, Mathematical Scattering Theory: General Theory, American Mathematical Society, 1992. The next three chapters illustrate basic theorems of abstract scattering theory, presenting, in particular, their applications to scattering theory of perturbations of differential operators with constant coefficients and to the analysis of the trace class method. In the second half of the book direct methods of scattering theory for differential operators are presented. After considering the one-dimensional case, the author returns to the multi-dimensional problem and discusses various analytical methods and tools appropriate for the analysis of differential operators, including, among others, high- and low-energy asymptotics of the Green function, the scattering matrix, ray and eikonal expansions. The book is based on graduate courses taught by the author at Saint-Petersburg (Russia) and Rennes (France) Universities and is oriented towards a reader interested in studying deep aspects of scattering theory (for example, a graduate student in mathematical physics).

The aim of this book is to give a systematic and self-contained presentation of the Mathematical Scattering Theory within the framework of operator theory in Hilbert space. The term Mathematical Scattering Theory denotes that theory which is on the one hand the common mathematical foundation of several physical scattering theories (scattering of quantum objects, of classical waves and particles) and on the other hand a branch of operator theory devoted to the study of the behavior of the continuous part of perturbed operators (some authors also use the term Abstract Scattering Theory). EBBential contributions to the development of this theory are due to K. FRIEDRICHS, J. CooK, T. KATo, J. M. JAuCH, S. T. KURODA, M.S. BmMAN, M.G. KREiN, L. D. FAD DEEV, R. LAVINE, W. 0. AMREIN, B. SIMoN, D. PEARSON, V. ENss, and others. It seems to the authors that the theory has now reached a sufficiently developed state that a self-contained presentation of the topic is justified.

Scattering theory is, roughly speaking, perturbation theory of self-adjoint operators on the (absolutely) continuous spectrum. It has its origin in mathematical problems of quantum mechanics and is intimately related to the theory of partial differential equations. Some recently solved problems, such as asymptotic completeness for the Schrödinger operator with long-range and multiparticle potentials, as well as open problems, are discussed. Potentials for which asymptotic completeness is violated are also constructed. This corresponds to a new class of asymptotic solutions of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. Special attention is paid to the properties of the scattering matrix, which is the main observable of the theory. The book is addressed to readers interested in a deeper study of the subject.

Scattering resonances generalize bound states/eigenvalues for systems in which energy can scatter to infinity. A typical resonance has a rate of oscillation (just as a bound state does) and a rate of decay. Although the notion is intrinsically dynamical, an elegant mathematical formulation comes from considering meromorphic continuations of Green's functions. The poles of these meromorphic continuations capture physical information by identifying the rate of oscillation with the real part of a pole and the rate of decay with its imaginary part. An example from mathematics is given by the zeros of the Riemann zeta function: they are, essentially, the resonances of the Laplacian on the modular surface. The Riemann hypothesis then states that the decay rates for the modular surface are all either or . An example from physics is given by quasi-normal modes of black holes which appear in long-time asymptotics of gravitational waves. This book concentrates mostly on the simplest case of scattering by compactly supported potentials but provides pointers to modern literature where more general cases are studied. It also presents a recent approach to the study of resonances on asymptotically hyperbolic manifolds. The last two chapters are devoted to semiclassical methods in the study of resonances.

The last decade witnessed an increasing interest of mathematicians in prob lems originated in mathematical physics. As a result of this effort, the scope of traditional mathematical physics changed considerably. New problems es pecially those connected with quantum physics make use of new ideas and methods. Together with classical and functional analysis, methods from dif ferential geometry and Lie algebras, the theory of group representation, and even topology and algebraic geometry became efficient tools of mathematical physics. On the other hand, the problems tackled in mathematical physics helped to formulate new, purely mathematical, theorems. This important development must obviously influence the contemporary mathematical literature, especially the review articles and monographs. A considerable number of books and articles appeared, reflecting to some extend this trend. In our view, however, an adequate language and appropriate methodology has not been developed yet. Nowadays, the current literature includes either mathematical monographs occasionally using physical terms, or books on theoretical physics focused on the mathematical apparatus. We hold the opinion that the traditional mathematical language of lem mas and theorems is not appropriate for the contemporary writing on mathe matical physics. In such literature, in contrast to the standard approaches of theoretical physics, the mathematical ideology must be utmost emphasized and the reference to physical ideas must be supported by appropriate mathe matical statements. Of special importance are the results and methods that have been developed in this way for the first time.

This monograph addresses researchers and students. It is a modern presentation of time-dependent methods for studying problems of scattering theory in the classical and quantum mechanics of N-particle systems. Particular attention is paid to long-range potentials. For a large class of interactions the existence of the asymptotic velocity and the asymptotic completeness of the wave operators is shown. The book is self-contained and explains in detail concepts that deepen the understanding. As a special feature of the book, the beautiful analogy between classical and quantum scattering theory (e.g., for N-body Hamiltonians) is presented with deep insight into the physical and mathematical problems.

It has now been almost ten years since our first book on scattering theory ap peared [32]. At that time we claimed that "in recent years the development of integral equation methods for the direct scattering problem seems to be nearing completion, whereas the use of such an approach to study the inverse scattering problem has progressed to an extent that a 'state of the art' survey appears highly desirable". Since we wrote these words, the inverse scattering problem for acoustic and electromagnetic waves has grown from being a few theoreti cal considerations with limited numerical implementations to a weH developed mathematical theory with tested numerical algorithms. This maturing of the field of inverse scattering theory has been based on the realization that such problems are in general not only nonlinear but also improperly posed in the sense that the solution does not depend continuously on the measured data. This was emphasized in [32] and treated with the ideas and tools available at that time. Now, almost ten years later, these initial ideas have developed to the extent that a monograph summarizing the mathematical basis of the field seems appropriate. This book is oUf attempt to write such a monograph. The inverse scattering problem for acoustic and electromagnetic waves can broadly be divided into two classes, the inverse obstacle problem and the inverse medium problem.