The incoherent scattering function and related correlation functions in hard sphere fluids at short times

For a classical fluid of hard spheres and hard disks exact expressions for all densities and wave vectors are derived for the coefficients oftⁿin the short-time expansion of the incoherent intermediate scattering function (n = 0, 1,..., 4) and the velocity correlation function (n=0,1,2). Similarly, we obtain the coefficient of the leading term in the short-time behavior of the cumulants of the displacements. Furthermore,S(k, ) has a high-frequency tail ^–4, characteristic for the hard-sphere fluid, which leads to a modification of the standard sum rules. We present estimates for the frequency range, in which this tail may be observed in neutron scattering off noble gases. The results are also compared with Enskog's theory and molecular dynamics calculations.