Propagator and multiple scattering approach to the time of arrival problem

Abstract

The propagator approach combined with the multiple-scattering theory is applied to the particle time of arrival (TOA) problem. This approach allows us to naturally include in the consideration the components of the particle initial wavefunction (defined at t = t0) corresponding to the positive (forward-moving term) and negative (backward-moving term) momenta. For a freely moving particle it is shown that the Allcock definition of the ideal total TOA probability disregards the backward-moving and interference terms entirely. In the presence of a measuring apparatus modeled by an imaginary step potential with the amplitude V0, the general expression for the TOA rate is obtained, the forward-moving component of which coincides with that obtained by Allcock. It is shown that when the initial particle wavefunction is well separated from the point of arrival and has a well-defined average momentum, the contribution of the backward-moving and interference terms are small and can be neglected. For a small V0, except the well-known convolution result by Allcock–Kijowski, the exponential form of the TOA rate follows at the double limit condition V0 → 0, t − t0 ∼ ℏ/2V0 → ∞ (2V0(t − t0)/ℏ is finite) while the backward-moving and interference terms vanish. We show that the Allcock result for the TOA rate is valid in the entire range of V0 including the Zeno case (V0 → ∞) and the normalized TOA rate can be introduced for all values of V0 as a probability distribution. The latter is illustrated for the Gaussian wave packet.