Fano theory resonant scattering

More recently, Mies and Kraus have presented a quantum mechanical theory of the unimolecular decay of activated molecules.13 Because of the similarity between this process and autoionization they used the Fano theory of resonant scattering.2 Their theory provides a detailed description of the relationships between level widths, matrix elements coupling discrete levels to the translational continuum, and the rate of fragmentation of the molecule. 

The advances in this field are related with the development of the theory of configuration interaction between different excitation channels in nuclear physics including quantum superposition of states corresponding to different spatial locations for interpretation of resonances in nuclear scattering cross-section [7] related with the Fano configuration interaction theory for autoionization processes in atomic physics [8],... 

For example, Eq. (3a) below, which is a consequence of Fano s elegant and general theory of 1961 [29], expresses the fact that, on resonance, the exact scattering state in the energy continuum is almost the same as the square-integrable (inner) part, Fq, with the energy dependence of the scattering state represented by the coefficient of o-... 

In Fano s [29] formal theory of resonance states, the energy-dependent wavefunctions are stationary, the energies are real, and the formalism is Hermitian. The observable quantities, such as the photoabsorption cross-section in the presence of a resonance, are energy-dependent and the theory provides them in terms of computable matrix elements involving prediagonalized bound and scattering N-electron basis sets. The serious MEP of how to compute and utilize in a practical way these sets for arbitrary N-electron systems is left open. 

Extension of Fano s formalism to the general case of multiple discrete states embedded in multiple continua was first conducted by Mies [54]. Like Fano, Mies assumed a prediagonalized basis. By imposing the asymptotic condition for the continuum state from the scattering theory, Mies derived the complete solution to the total continuum problem and gave formulas for energies and widths of resonances. 

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