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Quantum versus classical approach of dechanneling and incoherent electromagnetic processes in aligned crystals

Particles traveling in aligned crystals at small angles w.r.t. crystallographic axes or planes are principally steered by the continuous Lindhard potential. This interaction conserves the energy E, the longitudinal momentum p_parallel, the transverse energy of the particle E_perp and is elastic concerning the crystal quantum state. At high enough energy the particle motion is quasi-classical. The time-dependent fluctuations of the positions of the atoms or of the electrons of the crystal create a residual potential, on which the particle can scatter. This interaction does not conserve the previous quantities and is inelastic for the crystal. We compare its treatments with the classical binary collision model and with a phenomenological quantum model. The classical dechanneling rate is estimated to be several ten per cent larger than the quantum one. The influence of correlated vibrations of neighboring atoms is discussed.