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)

In effect, he allowed two different shielding factors, suggesting that one electron is relatively close to the nucleus, and the other is farther out. (Because electrons are identical particles, the spatial wave function must be symmetries with respect to interchange. The spin state—which is irrelevant to the calculation—is evidently anti symmetric.) Show that by astute choice of the adjustable parameters Z1and Z2you can get<H>less than -13.6.

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.

Short Answer

Expert verified

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

Step by step solution

01

Concept.

Total wave function is:

ψ(r1,r2)=A[ψ1(r1)ψ2(r2)ψ2(r1)ψ1(r2)],

Where, ψ1(r)z13πa3e-z1/a,ψ2(r)z23πa3e-z2r/a

The total wave function when residual forces are neglected is simply the product of the one quasi-particle proton and the one-quasi-particle neutron wave function.

02

Showing that the astute choice of adjustable parameters

Here the astute choice of adjustable parameters

A2(1+2S2+1)=1

where

S=ψ1(r)ψ2(r)d3r=Z1Z23πa3e-(z1+z2)r/a4πr2dr=4a3y232a3(z1+z2)3=yx3.A2=121+(y/x)6.

H=-h22m12+22-e24πo˙01r1+1r2+e24πo˙01r1+r2,Hψ=A-h22m12+22-e24πo˙0z1r1+z2r2ψ1(r1)ψ2(r2)+-h22m12+22-e24πo˙0z1r1+z2r2ψ2(r1)ψ1(r2)+Ae24πo˙0Z1-1r1+Z2-1r2ψ1(r1)ψ2(r2)+Z1-1r1+Z2-1r2ψ2(r1)ψ1(r2)+Veeψ.

whereVeee24πo˙01r1-r2.

03

The first term:

The term in first curly brackets is z12+z22E1ψ1(r1)ψ2(r2)+z22+z12E1ψ2(r1)ψ1(r2), so

Hψ=z12+z22+Ae24πo˙0z1-1r1+z2-1r2ψ1(r1)ψ2(r2)+z1-1r1+z2-1r2ψ2(r1)ψ1(r2),+Veeψ.H=z12+z22E1+Vee+A2e24πo˙0×ψ1(r1)ψ2(r2)+ψ2(r1)ψ1(r2)|z1-1r1+z2-1r2|ψ1(r1)ψ2(r2)>+z1-1r1+z2-1r2ψ2(r1)ψ1(r2)

Last term is equal to:

localid="1658396571051" =(z1-1)ψ1(r1)1r1ψ1(r1)+(z2-1)ψ2(r2)1r2ψ2(r2)+(z2-1)ψ1(r1)1r1ψ1(r1)ψ2(r2)|ψ1(r2)+(z1-1)ψ1(r1)|ψ2(r1)ψ2(r2)1r2ψ1(r2)+(z2-1)ψ2(r1)1r1ψ1(r1)ψ1(r2)|ψ2(r2)+(z2-1)ψ2(r1)|ψ1(r1)ψ1(r2)1r2ψ2(r2)++(z2-1)ψ2(r1)1r1ψ2(r1)+(z2-1)ψ1(r2)1r2ψ1(r2)

Instead r1,r2,we put r and last expression will simplify:

localid="1658404037903" =2z1-11r1+2z1-11r2+2z1-1ψ1|ψ2ψ11rψ2+2z1-1ψ1|ψ2ψ11rψ2But1r1=ψ1(r)1rψ1(r)=Zla;1r2=Z2a,SoH=Z12+Z22E1+A2e24πo˙021a(Z1-1)Z1+1a(Z2-1)Z2+(Z1+Z2-2)ψ1|ψ2ψ11rψ2+Vee.Andψ1|ψ2=S=(y/x)3,so

ψ11rψ2=Z1Z23πa34πe-(z1+z2)r/ardr=y32a3aZ1+Z22=y32ax2.H=x2-12y2E1+A2e24πo˙02az12+z22-(Z1+Z2)(x-2)yx3y32x2+Vee=x2-12y2E1+4E1A2x2-12y2-x+12(x-2)y6x5+Vee.

04

The calculation of the values:

Now we need to calculate

Vee=e24πo˙0ψ1r1-r2ψ.=e24πo˙0A2ψ1(r1)ψ2(r2)+ψ2(r1)ψ1(r2)1r1-r2ψ1(r1)ψ2(r2)+ψ2(r1)ψ1(r2)=e24πo˙0A22ψ1(r1)ψ2(r2)1r1-r2ψ1(r1)ψ2(r2)+2ψ1(r1)ψ2(r2)1r1-r2ψ2(r1)ψ1(r2)

First and last term are the same, so we have :

=2e24πo˙0A2(B+C),

localid="1658488118584" whereψ1(r1)ψ2(r2)1r1-r2ψ1(r1)ψ2(r2);C=ψ1(r1)ψ2(r2)1r1-r2ψ2(r1)ψ1(r2).B=Z13Z23πa32e-2Z1r1/ae-2Z2r2/a1r1-r2d3r1d3r2

ther2integralise-2Z2r2/a1r12+r22-2r1r2cosθ2d3r2

=πa3Z23r11-1+Z2r1ae-2Z2r1/aEq.8.25,butwitha2Z2aB=Z13Z23πa32(πa3)Z234π0e-2Z1r1/a1r11-1+Z2r1ae-2(Z1+Z2)r1/ar12dr1

=4Z13a30r1e-2Z1r1/a-r1e-2(Z1+Z2)r1/a-Z2ar12e-2(Z1+Z2)r1/adr1.=4Z13a3a2Z12-a2(Z1+Z22-Z2a2a2(Z1+Z23=Z13a1Z12-1(Z1+Z2)2-Z2(Z1+Z2)3

=Z1Z2a(Z1+Z2)1+Z1Z2(Z1+Z2)=y24ax1+y24x2C=Z1Z2πa32e-Z1r1/ae-Z2r2/ae-Z2r1/ae-Z1r2/a1r1-r2d3r1d3r2=Z1Z23πa32e-z1+z2r1+r2/a1r1-r2d3r1d3r2

The integral is the same as, only with a 4Z1+Z2a.

Comparing Eqs. 7.20 and 7.25, we see that the integral itself was

Vee=e24πo˙08πa32e-4(r1+r2)/ar1-r2d3r1d3r2Vee=54ae24πo˙0=-52E1=34eV54aπa382=5256π2a5.soC=Z1Z23πa325π225645a5Z1+Z25=20aZ1Z23Z1+Z25=516ay6x5

Vee=2Vee=e24πo˙0A2y24ax1+y24x2+516y6x5=2A2(-2E1)y24x1+y24x2+5y44x4.H=E1x2-12y2-21+(y/x)6x2-12y2-x+12(x-2)y6x5-21+(y/x)6y24x1+y24x2+5y44x4.

localid="1658492734438" =E1x6+y6x2-12y2x6+y6-2x2x2-12y2-x+12y6x4-y6x5+y24x+y416x3+5y616x5.=E1x6+y6x8+x2y6-12x6y2-12y8-2x8+x6y2+2x7-x2y6+2xy6--12x5y2-18x3y4-58xy6.=E1x6+y6-x8+2x7+12x6y2-12x5y2-18x3y4+118xy6-12y8.

Mathematical finds the minimum

ofHatx=1.32245,y=1.08505,correspondingtoZ1=1.0392,Z2=0.2832,.

At this point,Hmin=1.0266E,=-13.962eV, which is less than -13.6 eV but not by much.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

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.

(a) Prove the following corollary to the variational principle: If ψψgs=0thenáHñEfe whereEfe is the energy of the first excited state. Comment: If we can find a trial function that is orthogonal to the exact ground state, we can get an upper bound on the first excited state. In general, it's difficult to be sure that is orthogonal toψgsi since (presumably) we don't know the latter. However, if the potentialV(x) is an even function of x, then the ground state is likewise even, and hence any odd trial function will automatically meet the condition for the corollary.

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

(a) Use a trial wave function of the form

ψ(x)={Acos(πx/a),if(a/2<x<a/2)0otherwise

to obtain a bound on the ground state energy of the one-dimensional harmonic oscillator. What is the "best" value ofa? CompareHminwith the exact energy. Note: This trial function has a "kink" in it (a discontinuous derivative) at±a/2; do you need to take account of this, as I did in Example 7.3?

(b) Useψ(x)=Bsin(πx/a)on the interval(a,a)to obtain a bound on the first excited state. Compare the exact answer.

Find the best bound on Egsfor the one-dimensional harmonic oscillator using a trial wave function of the form role="math" localid="1656044636654" ψ(x)=Ax2+b2.,where A is determined by normalization and b is an adjustable parameter.

Although the Schrödinger equation for helium itself cannot be solved exactly, there exist “helium-like” systems that do admit exact solutions. A simple example is “rubber-band helium,” in which the Coulomb forces are replaced by Hooke’s law forces:

H=-ħ22m(12+22)+12mω2|r1-r1|2(8.78).

(a) Show that the change of variables from

r1,r2,tor1,r2,tou12(r1+r2),v12(r1+r2) (8.79).

turns the Hamiltonian into two independent three-dimensional harmonic oscillators:

H=[-ħ2mu2+12mω2u2]+[-ħ2mu2+121-λmω2u2](8.80)

(b) What is the exact ground state energy for this system?

(c) If we didn’t know the exact solution, we might be inclined to apply the method of Section 7.2 to the Hamiltonian in its original form (Equation 7.78). Do so (but don’t bother with shielding). How does your result compare with the exact answer? Answer:(H)=3ħω(1-λ/4)a.

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