Show that

<X>=Φ*(-hip)Φdp.

Hint: Notice thatxexp(ipx/h)=-ih(d/dp)exp(ip/h).

In momentum space, then, the position operator is ih/p . More generally,

<Q(x,p)={ψ*Q^}(x,hix)ψdx,inpositionspace;Φ*Q^}(-hip,p)Φdp,inmomentumspace.In principle you can do all calculations in momentum space just as well (though not always as easily) as in position space.

Short Answer

Expert verified

The provex=Φ*-hipΦdp.

Step by step solution

01

Concept used

The coordination representation:

ψx=12πh-eipx/hΦpdp

02

Given information from question

The transformation laws between coordinate space and momentum space. Because a Fourier transform connects the two bases, the coordinate representation is as follows:

ψx=12πh-eipx/hΦpdp ……. (1)

Now we may try to describe the anticipated value of the position in momentum space for the provided wave function. We start by a definition of the expectation value

<ψx^ψ>=ψ*xxdx=12πh-eipx/hΦpdpdx ……. (2)

We can notice that we can express xe-ipx/has following:

x=-ihddpeipx/h

As a result, the part of the following integral in the previous statement can be simplified as:

localid="1656314346606" xeipx/hΦpdp=--ihddpeipx/hΦpdpIntegratingbyparts,weget,--ihddpeipx/hΦpdp=ih-eipx/hddpΦpdpInsertthevaluesintoexpression(2),weget,=ih12πhe-ipx/hddpΦpeipx/hΦ*pdpdpdx=i2πeixp-pIhddpeipx/hΦ*pdpdpdx

We can see that the previous form reminds us of the delta function, however to obtain the right form we need to use a substitution z=x/hdz=dx/hThen, the expression becomes:

=ih12πeip-pdzddpΦpΦ*pdpdp=ihddpΦpΦ*pδp-pdpdp=Φ*pihddpΦpdp=x^

We proved that the position operator in momentum representation is given as stated in the problem. It's noteworthy that the momentum operator in position space is identical to the momentum operator. The reason for this is that position and momentum are both conjugate variables.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Prove the famous "(your name) uncertainty principle," relating the uncertainty in positionA=x to the uncertainty in energyB=p2/2m+v:

σxσHh2m|p|

For stationary states this doesn't tell you much-why not?

Apply Equation 3.71 to the following special cases: (a)Q=1; (b)Q=H; (c)Q=x; (d)Q=p. In each case, comment on the result, with particular reference to Equations 1.27,1.33,1.38, and conservation of energy (comments following Equation 2.39).

The Hamiltonian for a certain three-level system is represented by the matrix

H=hω[100020002] Two other observables, A and B, are represented by the matrices A=λ[010100002],B=μ[200001010],where ω, , and μ are positive real numbers.

(a)Find the Eigen values and (normalized) eigenvectors of H, A and B.

(b) Suppose the system starts out in the generic staterole="math" localid="1656040462996" |S(0)>=(c1c2c3)

with |c1|2+|c2|2+|c3|2=1. Find the expectation values (at t=0) of H, A, and B.

(c) What is |S(t)>? If you measured the energy of this state (at time t), what values might you get, and what is the probability of each? Answer the same questions for A and for B.

(a) Show that the set of all square-integrable functions is a vector space (refer to Section A.1 for the definition). Hint: The main problem is to show that the sum of two square-integrable functions is itself square-integrable. Use Equation 3.7. Is the set of all normalized functions a vector space?

(b) Show that the integral in Equation 3.6satisfies the conditions for an inner product (Section A.2).

Suppose Ψ(x,0)=Ax2+a2.(-<x<)for constantsA and a.

(a) Determine A, by normalizingΨ(x,0)

(b) Find, and(at time).

(c) Find the momentum space wave functionΦ(p,0), and check that it is normalized.

(d) UseΦ(p,0)to calculatep,p2, andσp(at timet=0).

(e) Check the Heisenberg uncertainty principle for this state.

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