(a) Using Equations 5.59 and 5.63, show that the wave function for a particle in the periodic delta-function potential can be written in the form

ψ(X)=C[sinkx+e-ikasina-x]0xa

(b) There is an exception; At the top of a band where z is an integer multiple ofπyielsψ(x)=0 yields .

Find the correct wave function for the case. Note what happens toψeach delta function.

Short Answer

Expert verified

(a) Using the equation given in textbook, we derived the wave function for periodic delta potential

(b)The correct wave function for the wave is ψx=Asinkx

Step by step solution

01

Define Schrödinger equation

  • A differential equation that describes matter in quantum mechanics in terms of the wave-like properties of particles in a field. Its answer is related to a particle's probability density in space and time.
  • The time-dependent Schrödinger equation is represented as

ddtψt>=H^ψt

02

Showing the wave function

(a)

To show that wave function for a particle in the periodic delta potential is:

ψx=Csinkx+e-ikasinka-xfor0xa

We start from equations 5.59 and 5.63:

ψx=Asinkx+BcoskxAsinka=eika-coskaBB=Asinkaeika-coska

We insert previous expression for B in wave function ψx:

ψx=Asinkx+Asinkaeika-coskacoskx=Aeikasinkx-sinkxcoska+sinkacoskaeika-coska=Aeikaeika-coskasinkx-eika-sinkxcoska+eika-sinkacoskaψx=Csinkx+eika-sinka-x

Therefore using the equation given in textbook, we derived the wave function for periodic delta potential.

03

Observing from graph

(b)

fz=cosz+βsinzz

Forβ=10 .From equation 5.64 we have:

coska=coskx+mah2ksinka

In this case is an integer multiple ofπ, then we havez=ka=nπ, where is nan integer. This implies:

sinka=sinKa=0coska=cosKa=-1n=cosKa+isinKa=eiKa=-1n

Constant C from previous task is then C=A0which implies that A=0 or B=0 .So the equation 5.62 is:

2h2B=kA-e-iKakAcoska-Bsinka=kA--1nkA12-B.0=kA-kAB=0

So, from equation 5.59, we are left with only Asinkxterm:

ψx=Asinkx

At each delta functionψx=0, so the wave function doesn't "see" any potential.

Hence the correct wave function for the wave is ψx=Asinkx

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Most popular questions from this chapter

We can extend the theory of a free electron gas (Section 5.3.1) to the relativistic domain by replacing the classical kinetic energy, E=p2/2m,,with the relativistic formula, E=p2c2+m2c4-mc2. Momentum is related to the wave vector in the usual way: p=hk. In particular, in the extreme relativistic limit, Epc=hck.

(a) Replace h2k2n Equation 5.55 by the ultra-relativistic expression, hck, and calculateEtotin this regime.

dE=h2k22mVπ2k2dk (5.55).

(b) Repeat parts (a) and (b) of Problem 5.35 for the ultra-relativistic electron gas. Notice that in this case there is no stable minimum, regardless of R; if the total energy is positive, degeneracy forces exceed gravitational forces, and the star will expand, whereas if the total is negative, gravitational forces win out, and the star will collapse. Find the critical number of nucleons, Nc , such that gravitational collapse occurs for N>N_{C}is called the Chandrasekhar limit.

(c) At extremely high density, inverse beta decaye-+p+n+v,converts virtually all of the protons and electrons into neutrons (liberating neutrinos, which carry off energy, in the process). Eventually neutron degeneracy pressure stabilizes the collapse, just as electron degeneracy does for the white dwarf (see Problem 5.35). Calculate the radius of a neutron star with the mass of the sun. Also calculate the (neutron) Fermi energy, and compare it to the rest energy of a neutron. Is it reasonable to treat a neutron star non relativistic ally?

Certain cold stars (called white dwarfs) are stabilized against gravitational collapse by the degeneracy pressure of their electrons (Equation 5.57). Assuming constant density, the radius R of such an object can be calculated as follows:

P=23EtotV=23h2kF510π2m=(3π2)2/3h25mp5/3(5.57)

(a) Write the total electron energy (Equation 5.56) in terms of the radius, the number of nucleons (protons and neutrons) N, the number of electrons per nucleon d, and the mass of the electron m. Beware: In this problem we are recycling the letters N and d for a slightly different purpose than in the text.

Etot=h2V2π2m0kFK4dk=h2kF5V10π2m=h2(3π2Nd)5/310π2mV-2/3(5.56)

(b) Look up, or calculate, the gravitational energy of a uniformly dense sphere. Express your answer in terms of G (the constant of universal gravitation), R, N, and M (the mass of a nucleon). Note that the gravitational energy is negative.

(c) Find the radius for which the total energy, (a) plus (b), is a minimum.

R=(9π4)2/3h2d5/3GmM2N1/3

(Note that the radius decreases as the total mass increases!) Put in the actual numbers, for everything except , using d=1/2 (actually, decreases a bit as the atomic number increases, but this is close enough for our purposes). Answer:

(d) Determine the radius, in kilometers, of a white dwarf with the mass of the sun.

(e) Determine the Fermi energy, in electron volts, for the white dwarf in (d), and compare it with the rest energy of an electron. Note that this system is getting dangerously relativistic (seeProblem 5.36).

Find the energy at the bottom of the first allowed band, for the caseβ=10 , correct to three significant digits. For the sake of argument, assume αa=1eV.

The ground state of dysprosium (element 66, in the 6th row of the Periodic Table)

is listed as Is5. What are the total spin, total orbital, and grand total angular

momentum quantum numbers? Suggest a likely electron configuration for

dysprosium.

In view ofProblem 5.1, we can correct for the motion of the nucleus in hydrogen by simply replacing the electron mass with the reduced mass.

(a) Find (to two significant digits) the percent error in the binding energy of hydrogen (Equation 4.77) introduced by our use of m instead of μ.

E1=-m2h2e24π'2=-13.6eV(4.77).

(b) Find the separation in wavelength between the red Balmer lines n=3n=2for hydrogen and deuterium (whose nucleus contains a neutron as well as the proton).

(c) Find the binding energy of positronium (in which the proton is replaced by a positron—positrons have the same mass as electrons, but opposite charge).

(d) Suppose you wanted to confirm the existence of muonic hydrogen, in which the electron is replaced by a muon (same charge, but 206.77 times heavier). Where (i.e. at what wavelength) would you look for the “Lyman-α” line n=2n=1?.

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