This is a research book centered on quantum-mechanical scattering in macroscopic targets, which may lead to coherent scattering on a macroscopic scale. Specific conditions for the occurrence of coherent scattering are formulated. X- and gamma rays, neutron and neutrino scattering, and electron scattering are examined, as well as light scattering and the Moessbauer effect. Coherence domains are introduced, and their role in scattering is explored. The momentum and energy transfer to the target, as well as the force acting upon the target are emphasized, for both atomic and macroscopic targets. The book addresses a wide readership of researchers, in both experimental and theoretical physics, with an interest in a new area of research in particle scattering by macroscopic targets.
This book is a comprehensive introduction to the physics of intense laser-plasma interaction, motivated by applications in high-energy-density physics. For master’s and graduate students, it combines accessible theory with up-to-date developments and practical exercises.