Chaotic scattering

Chaotic scattering occurs when particles or waves interact with a complex system, like a rough surface or a complicated potential, causing their paths to become unpredictable. Small changes in initial conditions lead to vastly different outcomes, making the process highly sensitive. This behavior arises from underlying chaotic dynamics, where the system's complexity creates intricate, seemingly random trajectories. Chaotic scattering is important in fields like physics and chemistry, helping to explain phenomena such as particle confinement, chemical reactions, or signal transmission in complex environments, where predictability becomes extremely challenging due to the system's inherent sensitivity.