LX. Elastic scattering of 125 mev electrons by mercury

We have calculated the elastic scattering of 125 mev electrons by the nucleus of mercury, assuming various spherically symmetric models for the charge distribution. We find that a square distribution (i.e. ρ=ρ 0 , rR) gives rise to a rather large oscillatory differential cross section at wide angles, whereas the cross section from a distribution of radius R=1·2×10 -13 A 1/3 cm in which the sharp edge of the square distribution is smoothed reproduces the smooth, monotonically decreasing differential cross section required by the experimental data.