Find the lowest bound on the ground state of hydrogen you can get using a Gaussian trial wave function

ψ(r)=Ae-br2,

where A is determined by normalization and b is an adjustable parameter. Answer-11.5eV

Short Answer

Expert verified

The lowest bound on the ground state of hydrogen using Gaussian trial wave function isHmin=-11.5eV.

Step by step solution

01

Step 1: Gaussian trail wave function

A Gaussian function is proposed as a trial wave function in a variational calculation on the hydrogen atom. Determine the optimum value of the parameter and the ground state energy of the hydrogen atom. Use atomic units

h=2ττ,me=1,e=1

ϕ(r,β):=(2βπ)34exp(-βr2)

Thegiventrial wave function is of the form:

ψ(r)=Ae-br2

02

Finding the lowest bound on the ground state of hydrogen.

First, we find the normalization constant A:

ψ2(r)r2sinθdrdϕ=1A20e-2br2r2dr0xsinθdθ02xdϕ=1A2182π(b)3(2)(2π)=1A=2bπ3/4

V=-e24π0˙0A24π0e-2br21rr2dr=-e24π0˙02bπ3/24π14b=-e24π0˙022bπ.

03

Step 3: Finding the value of T

Now we find <T>

T=-h22mA2e-br22e-br2r2sinθdrdθdϕBut2e-br2=1r2ddrr2ddre-br2=1r2ddr-2br3e-br2=-2br2(3r2-2br4)e-br2=-h22mπb42bπ3/24π(-2b)0(3r2-2br4)e-2br2dr=h2mπb42bπ3/2318bπ2b-2b332b2π2b.=h2m4πb2bπ38b-316b=3h2b2m.

04

Step 4: Finding the value of H

The last two calculations of the results to get <H>

H=3h2b2m-e24πo˙022bπ;Hb=3h22m-e24πo˙02π1b=0b=e24πo˙02π2m3h2.Hmin=3h22me24πo˙022π4m29h2-e24πo˙022πe24πo˙02π2m3h2=e24πo˙02mh243π-83π.=-m2h2e24πo˙0283π=83πE1=-11.5eV.

Thus the lowest bound on the ground state of hydrogen using Gaussian trial wave function isHmin=-11.5eV.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Suppose you’re given a two-level quantum system whose (time-independent) Hamiltonian H0admits just two Eigen states, Ψa (with energy Ea ), and Ψb(with energy Eb ). They are orthogonal, normalized, and non-degenerate (assume Ea is the smaller of the two energies). Now we turn on a perturbation H′, with the following matrix elements:

Ψa|H'|Ψa=Ψb|H'|Ψb=0;Ψa|H'|Ψb=Ψb|H'|Ψa (7.74).

where h is some specified constant.

(a) Find the exact Eigen values of the perturbed Hamiltonian.

(b) Estimate the energies of the perturbed system using second-order perturbation theory.

(c) Estimate the ground state energy of the perturbed system using the variation principle, with a trial function of the form

Ψ=(cosϕ)Ψa+(sinϕ)ψb (7.75).

where ϕ is an adjustable parameter. Note: Writing the linear combination in this way is just a neat way to guarantee that ψ is normalized.

(d) Compare your answers to (a), (b), and (c). Why is the variational principle so accurate, in this case?

InProblem 7.7we found that the trial wave function with shielding (Equation 7.27), which worked well for helium, is inadequate to confirm the existence of a bound state for the negative hydrogen ion.

ψ1(r1,r2)z3πa3e-z(r1+r2)/a (7.27)

Chandrasekhar used a trial wave function of the form

ψ(r1,r2)A[ψ1(r1)ψ2(r2)+ψ2(r1)ψ1(r2)] (7.62).

Where

ψ1(r)z13πa3e-z1/a,ψ1(r)z23πa3e-z2/a,(7.63)

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Answer: :<H>=E1x6+y6(-x8+2x7+12x6y2-12x5y2-18x3y4+118xy6-12y8).

Wherexz1+z2.y2z1z2Chandrasekhar usedZ1=1.039

(Since this is larger than 1, the motivating interpretation as an effective nuclear charge cannot be sustained, but never mindit’s still an acceptable trial wave function) andZ2=0.283.

Quantum dots. Consider a particle constrained to move in two dimensions in the cross-shaped region.The “arms” of the cross continue out to infinity. The potential is zero within the cross, and infinite in the shaded areas outside. Surprisingly, this configuration admits a positive-energy bound state

(a) Show that the lowest energy that can propagate off to infinity is

Ethreshold=π2h28ma2

any solution with energy less than that has to be a bound state. Hint: Go way out one arm (say xa), and solve the Schrödinger equation by separation of variables; if the wave function propagates out to infinity, the dependence on x must take the formexp(ikxx)withkx>0

(b) Now use the variation principle to show that the ground state has energy less than Ethreshold. Use the following trial wave function (suggested by Jim Mc Tavish):

ψ(x,y)=A{cos(πx/2a)+cos(πy/2a)e-αxaandyacos(πx/2a)e-αy/axaandy>acos(πy/2a)e-αy/ax.aandya0elsewhere

Normalize it to determine A, and calculate the expectation value of H.
Answer:

<H>=h2ma2[π28-1-(α/4)1+(8/π2)+(1/2α)]

Now minimize with respect to α, and show that the result is less thanEthreshold. Hint: Take full advantage of the symmetry of the problem— you only need to integrate over 1/8 of the open region, since the other seven integrals will be the same. Note however that whereas the trial wave function is continuous, its derivatives are not—there are “roof-lines” at the joins, and you will need to exploit the technique of Example 8.3.

Using Egs=-79.0eV for the ground state energy of helium, calculate the ionization energy (the energy required to remove just one electron). Hint: First calculate the ground state energy of the helium ion, He+, with a single electron orbiting the nucleus; then subtract the two energies.

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(b) Find the best bound on the first excited state of the one-dimensional harmonic oscillator using the trial functionψ(x)=Axe-bx2

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