Lennard-Jones Potential: Trajectories and Deflection Function

This lecture discusses the Lennard-Jones potential, a model potential for intermolecular interactions, and its comparison with the hard-sphere collision cross section. It covers the depth of the potential well, long-range attraction, and intermolecular repulsion. Trajectories and deflection functions for the Lennard-Jones potential are analyzed, showing how particles interact at different distances and energies. The differential cross section is explored for various impact parameters, highlighting the behavior for small and large values. Insights are drawn from the comparison with the hard-sphere deflection function, emphasizing the differences in deflection angles and interaction patterns.