Elastic scattering is a form of particle scattering in
scattering theory,
nuclear physics and
particle physics. In this process, the
kinetic energy of a
particle is conserved in the
center-of-mass frame, but its direction of propagation is modified (by
interaction with other particles and/or
potentials). Furthermore, while the particle's kinetic energy in the center-of-mass frame is constant, its energy in the lab frame is not. Generally, elastic scattering describes a process where the total kinetic energy of the system is conserved. During elastic scattering of high-energy
subatomic particles,
linear energy transfer (LET) takes place until the incident particle's energy and speed has been reduced to the same as its surroundings, at which point the particle is "stopped."