Hyperspherical adiabatic eigenvalues for zero-range potentials

The scattering length a associated with two-body interactions is the relevant parameter for near threshold processes in cold atom-atom collisions. For this reason zero-range potentials are traditionally used to model collective behaviour of dilute collections of bosons. The model is also used to compute three-body recombination rates, where it gives an a⁴ law. In this paper we examine the applicability of the zero-range model to real physical systems. Hyperspherical adiabatic potentials obtained from the zero-range model are compared with published potentials based on realistic two-body interactions. From these comparisons it is possible to determine the regions where the model applies.