About Compactness of Faddeev Integral Equations for Three Charged Particles

Abstract

Momentum space three-body integral equations of the Faddeev type can not be used for Coulomb-like potentials, for energies above the breakup threshold. The reason is the occurrence of singularities in their kernels which destroy the compactness properties known to exist for purely short-range interactions. Using the rigorously equivalent formulation in terms of an effective-two- body theory, we prove that the nondiagonal kernels occurring therein possess on and off the energy shell only integrable singularities, provided all three particles have charges of the same sign (ie., only repulsive Coulomb interactions). In contrast, if some of the charges have opposite signs the nondiagonal kernels develop nonintegrable singularities which destroy the compactness properties.

DOE Grant DE-FG05-93ER40773