Transport cross sections based on a screened interaction potential: Comparison of classical and quantum-mechanical results

Standard classical and quantum-mechanical methods are used to characterize the momentum-transfer cross section needed in energy-loss calculations and simulations for heavy, swift charges moving in an electron gas. By applying a well-known, finite-range screened Coulombic potential energy to model the two-body collision, the quantitative applicability range of the classical cross section is investigated as a function of charge (Z), screening length (R), and scattering relative velocity (v). The a posteriori condition (Z/R)/v2<1, as an upper bound for heavy charges, is deduced for this applicability range from the comparative study performed