Energy transfer in scattering by rotating potentials

Abstract

Quantum mechanical scattering theory is studied for time-dependent Schrödinger operators, in particular for particles in a rotating potential. Under various assumptions about the decay rate at infinity we show uniform boundedness in time for the kinetic energy of scattering states, existence and completeness of wave operators, and existence of a conserved quantity under scattering. In a simple model we determine the energy transferred to a particle by collision with a rotating blade.