Vol 3 - Landau, Lifshitz - Quantum mechanics - non-relativistic theory (3ed., 1991) · Problem 41.2

Perturbation Theory

Physics — Landau & Lifshitz · atomic-excitation-nuclear-impulse

Problem

The nucleus of an atom in the normal state receives an impulse which gives it a velocity

v

; the duration

\tau

of the impulse is assumed short in comparison both with the electron periods and with

a/v

, where

a

is the dimension of the atom. Determine the probability of excitation of the atom under the influence of such a ``jolt'' (A. B. Migdal 1939).