SCATTERING FROM A NONSYMMETRIC POTENTIAL IN ONE-DIMENSION AS A COUPLED-CHANNEL PROBLEM

We study the partial-wave description of scattering of a particle from a one-dimensional potential in quantum mechanics, There are two parti al waves, with even and odd parity. They are decoupled if the potentia l V(x) is symmetric, i.e., V(x)=V(-x). If V(x)not equal V(-x), however , the two partial waves are coupled. This coupled-channel problem can be handled in terms of two eigenphases and a mixing parameter. This me thod enables us to shed new light on the transmission and reflection p robabilities at threshold. (C) 1996 American Association of Physics Te achers.