Hyperspherical Approach to Atom–Dimer Collisions with the Jacobi Boundary Condition

In this study, we investigate atom–dimer scattering within the framework of hyperspherical coordinates. The coupled-channel Schrödinger equation is solved using the R-matrix propagation technique combined with the smooth variable discretization method. In the matching procedure, the asymptotic wave functions are expressed in the rotated Jacobi coordinates. We apply this approach to the elastic scattering ³He(T↑) + ⁴He₂ and H↑ +LiH↑ processes for testing. The convergence of the scattering length as a function of the propagation distance is studied. We find that the method is reliable and can provide considerable savings over previous propagators, so it is suitable for solving the atom–dimer scattering problem for important quantities such as the phase shift, cross section and scattering length. (author)