Recoil corrections to elastic electron scattering in the Breit approximation

Recoil corrections to the cross sections for elastic electron scattering from spin-0 nuclei are investigated in the Breit approximation. The form of the scattering amplitude in first- and second-Born approximation is investigated in detail using time-dependent perturbation theory, and it is found that the center-of-mass (CM) frame is particularly convenient to work in. Transformation equations relating the lab and CM frames are developed. Those parts of the second-Born amplitude which correspond to the Breit amplitude are isolated, and the Breit equation with the electromagnetic Breit interaction is investigated in detail. Corrections to the scattering cross sections which are inversely proportional to the nucleus mass (recoil corrections) are calculated. Numerical results are presented for the particular case of ¹⁶O.