BREIT-WIGNER

FORMULA
AMINA MANSHA
MCS2200010
M.Sc IV (Physics)
Morning
 INTRODUCTION

 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
BRIET-WIGNER FORMULA
PROPERTIES OF BREIT-WIGNER
FORMULA
CONTENTS APPLICATIONS OF BREIT-WIGNER
FORULA
LIMITATIONS OF BREIT-WIGNAR
FORMULA
CONCLUTION
 INTRODUCTION
 WHAT IS BREIT-WIGNER FORMULA ?

• In 1936, Gregory Breit and Eugene Wigner wrote a paper on the

"capture of slow neutron in nuclei" . There they produce a famous
equation for the resonant scattering . Now known as The Breit-Wigner
formula .

• The Breit-Wigner formula is a mathematical expression that

describes the probability of a resonant reaction in a nuclear physics.

• In nuclear physics, resonant reactions occur when a nucleus absorbs a

particle, such as a neutron, and becomes excited. This excited state is
unstable and quickly decays, releasing energy in the form of gamma rays or
other particles. The probability of this reaction occurring depends on the
energy of the incident particle.

• The Breit-Wigner formula is typically expressed as follows:

• P(E)=Γ/2/[(E-E0)^2+(Γ/2)^2]

• This is important for understanding the behavior of nuclear reactors and

for designing nuclear weapons..
 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
o The history of nuclear reaction studies dates back to 1909 to 1911.
o The first systematic studies of nuclear reaction mechanisms, however, were carried
out 1932 to 1933 by Fermi.
o They irradiate 38 nuclides ranging from Hydrogen to Uranium with then newly
discovered neutrons, and observed the induced radioactivity.
o Two remarkable features were observed:
a) (n,7) cross-section were large
b)Cross-section at very low energies were very large for some nuclides , but not so
much of other nuclides.
o These features ( neutrons induced reactions) were explained by N. Bohr, and G. Breit
and E. P. Wigner with compound nucleus model
BREIT-WIGNER
FORMULA
PROPERTIES OF BREIT-WIGNER
FORMULA
The Breit-Wigner formula has a number of important properties, including:
• Symmetry: The Breit-Wigner formula is symmetric around the resonant
energy, E=M. This means that the probability of a resonance occurring at an
energy E>M is the same as the probability of a resonance occurring at an energy E<M.
• Normality: This means that the total probability of a resonance occurring is equal to
one.
• Width: The width of the Breit-Wigner curve is determined by the width of the resonant
state, Γ. The wider the resonant state, the wider the Breit-Wigner curve.
• Peak: The peak of the Breit-Wigner curve occurs at the resonant energy, E=M. The
height of the peak is determined by the strength of the resonance.
• M represents the mass of the resonant state. The resonant state is a temporary state in
which two or more particles are strongly bound together.
 NUCLEAR PHYSICS
APPLICATIONS OF • Describing the probability of a nuclear reaction occurring at a given energy

BREIT-WIGNER
FORMULA
• Calculating the cross section for a nuclear reaction
• Estimating the decay rate of a radioactive particle
• Studying the properties of resonant states in nuclei
• The Breit-Wigner formula is used in the design of optical filters. Optical filters
are used to pass or block light of certain wavelengths.
 limitations include:
LIMITATIONS OF
BREIT-WIGNER
FORMULA
• It is only valid for narrow resonances. The Breit-Wigner
formula assumes that the width of the resonance is much
smaller than its mass. If the width of the resonance is
comparable to its mass, then the Breit-Wigner formula is not
accurate.
• It does not account for interference effects. The Breit-
Wigner formula assumes that the resonant state is isolated
from other particles and states. If the resonant state interacts
with other particles or states, then the Breit-Wigner formula is
not accurate.
• It is not valid for relativistic resonances. The Breit-Wigner
formula is based on non-relativistic quantum mechanics. For
relativistic resonances, the Breit-Wigner formula must be
modified to take into account the effects of special relativity.
CONCLUSION
 SUMMERY OF MAIN POINTS

o The Breit-Wigner formula describes the probability of a resonance at a given energy.

o It is symmetric around the resonant energy and integrates to one over all energies.
o The width of the Breit-Wigner curve is determined by the width of the resonant state.
o It has a wide range of applications in physics and Chemistry
THANKS ALL OF YOU