Decoherence of quantum kinematical correlations: Elastic scattering of identical particles

(Received 24 May 2012; published 30 November 2012)We include the dynamics of the angular straggling process in the angular distributions of Mott scattering ofheavy ions. We model the passage of an incoming nucleus through a target as a diffusion process. It is thenpossible to derive a simple and physically transparent expression for the angular dispersion due to the straggling.TheangulardispersionshouldbefoldedwiththetheoreticalMottcrosssectiontoseeitseffectontheamplitudeofthe Mott oscillations. Our results agree very well with data of