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

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

Suppose we used a minus sign in our trial wave function (Equation 7.37):ψ=A[ψ0(r1)-ψ0(r2)]): Without doing any new integrals, find F(x) (the analog to Equation ) for this case, and construct the graph. Show that there is no evidence of bonding. (Since the variational principle only gives an upper bound, this doesn't prove that bonding cannot occur for such a state, but it certainly doesn't look promising). Comment: Actually, any function of the form ψ=A[ψ0(r1)+eiϕψ0(r2)]has the desired property that the electron is equally likely to be associated with either proton. However, since the Hamiltonian (Equation 7.35 ) is invariant under the interchange P:r1r2 , its eigen functions can be chosen to be simultaneously eigen functions of P . The plus sign (Equation 7.37) goes with the eigenvalue +1 , and the minus sign (Equation 7.52 ) with the eigenvalue -1 ; nothing is to be gained by considering the ostensibly more general case (Equation 7.53), though you're welcome to try it, if you're interested.

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.

Use a gaussian trial function (Equation 7.2) to obtain the lowest upper bound you can on the ground state energy of (a) the linear potential V(x)=α|x| (b) the quartic potential:V(x)=αx4

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.

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