Show thatP2is Hermitian, butP4is not, for hydrogen states withl=0. Hint: For such statesψis independent ofθandϕ, so

localid="1656070791118" p2=-2r2ddr(r2ddr)

(Equation 4.13). Using integration by parts, show that

localid="1656069411605" <fp2g>=-4πh2(r2fdgdr-r2gdfdr)0+<p2fg>

Check that the boundary term vanishes forψn00, which goes like

ψn00~1π(na)3/2exp(-r/na)

near the origin. Now do the same forp4, and show that the boundary terms do not vanish. In fact:

<ψn00p4ψm00>=84a4(n-m)(nm)5/2+<p4ψn00ψm00>

Short Answer

Expert verified

Thus,p2 is Hermitian, butp4 is not

Step by step solution

01

Hermitian for  P2

P2is Hermitian, but P4is not,

P2=-2r2ddr(r2ddr)

The p2is Hermitian if,

fP2g=P2fg

so, to show that, we use:

fP2g=-20f1r2ddrr2dgdr4πr2dr=-4π20fddrr2dgdrdr

02

use integration by parts to solve for Hermitian of P2  .

To evaluate this integral, we use the integration by parts technique:

u=f,dv=ddrr2dgdrdrdu=dfdrdr,v=r2dgdrl=r2fdgdr0-0r2dfdrdgdrdr

03

 again, use integration by parts

By using the integration by parts once more,

u=r2dfdr,dv=dgdrdrdu=ddrr2dfdrdr,v=gI'=r2gdfdr|0-0ddrr2dfdrgdr

then,

<fp2g>=-4πh2(r2fdgdr-r2gdfdr)0+0ddrr2dfdrgdr

04

check at boundary

- If

r0=0rgf0r2fdgdr-r2gdfdr|0

vanishes at the boundaries.

Multiplying the R.H.S. byr2r2 ,

05

solve further

solve further

fP2g=-201r2ddrr2dfdrg.4πr2drfP2g=P2flg

Then,P2 is Hermitian.

06

solve for P4

Now, for P4:

P4=4r2ddrr2ddr1r2ddrr2ddr

By applying the same method,

fP4g=401r2fddrr2ddrr2dgdr4πr2dr=4π40fddrr2ddr1r2ddrr2dgdrdr

07

use integration by parts

By using integration by parts:

u=f,dv=ddrr2ddr1r2ddrr2dgdrdrdu=dfdrdr,v=r2ddr1r2ddrr2dgdr

Solve further

I1=r2fddr1r2ddrr2dgdr|0-0r2dfdrddr1r2ddrr2dgdrdru=r2dfdr,dv=ddr1r2ddrr2dgdrdrdu=ddrr2dfdrdrv=1r2ddrr2dgdr

solve further

localid="1656073604117" fP4g=4π4r2fddr1r2ddrr2dgdr-dfdrddrr2dgdr+ddrr2dfdrdgdr-r2gddr1r2ddrr2dfdr|0+P4fg

localid="1656131027955" role="math" u=1r2ddrr2dfdrl2=dfdrddrr2dgdr0-01r2ddrr2dfdrddrr2dgdrdrdrI3=ddrr2dfdrdgdr|0-0r2ddr1r2ddrr2dfdrdgdrdru=r2ddr/dr1r2ddrr2dfdr

dv=dgdrdrdu=ddrr2ddr(1r2ddrr2dfdrdr,v=g,I4=r2gddr1r2ddrr2dfdr|0-0ddrr2ddr1r2ddrr2dfdrgdrg=0ddrr2ddr1r2ddrr2dfdrgdr

08

check the boundary terms

To check the boundary terms:

Take,

f(r)=e-rnag(r)=e-rma

By substituting into the last equation.

dgdr=-1mae-rmadfdr=-1nae-rnar2dgdr=(-r2ma)e-rma

Solve further

ddrr2dgdr=-2rmae-rma+r2m2a2e-rma1r2ddrr2dgdr=-2mar+1m2a2e-rmaddr1r2ddrr2dgdr=-1ma-2mar+1m2a2e-rma+2mar2e-rma

09

solve further

r2fddr1r2ddrr2dgdr=2rm2a2-r2m3a3+2mae-rmae-rnar2dgdr=-r2mae-rmaddrr2dgdr=-2rma+r2m2a2e-rma

Solve further

dfdrddrr2dgdr=-1na-2rma+r2m2a2e-rmae-rnar2dfdr=-r2nae-rnaddrr2dfdr=-2rna+r2n2a2e-rna1r2ddrr2dfdr-2nar+1n2a2e-rnadrdrr2dfdrdgdr=-1ma-2rna+r2n2a2e-rmae-rnadfdr=-2rna+r2n2a2e-rnadxddr1r2ddrr2dfdr=-1na-2nar+1n2a2+2nar2e-rnar2gddr1r2ddrr2dfdr=2rn2a2-r2n3a3+2nae-rnae-rma

10

reduce the equation

When , r0the terms (2) and (3) vanish, so the equation can be reduced to;

role="math" localid="1656136148574" fP4g=4π42ma-2na+P4fg=8π4a1m-1n+P4fg

11

non-Hermitian of P4

Then, P4is non-Hermitian.

ψn001π(na)32e-raψm001π(ma)32e-rmaψn00P4ψm00=8π4an-mnm1πa3(nm)32+P4ψn00ψm00=84a4(n-m)nm52+P4ψn00ψm00P4ψn00ψm00=84a4(n-m)nm52+P4ψn00ψm00

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Calculate the wavelength, in centimeters, of the photon emitted under a hyperfine transition in the ground state (n=1) of deuterium. Deuterium is "heavy" hydrogen, with an extra neutron in the nucleus; the proton and neutron bind together to form a deuteron, with spin 1 and magnetic moment

μdl=gde2mdSd

he deuteron g-factor is 1.71.

Van der Waals interaction. Consider two atoms a distanceapart. Because they are electrically neutral you might suppose there would be no force between them, but if they are polarizable there is in fact a weak attraction. To model this system, picture each atom as an electron (mass m , charge -e ) attached by a spring (spring constant k ) to the nucleus (charge +e ), as in Figure. We'll assume the nuclei are heavy, and essentially motionless. The Hamiltonian for the unperturbed system is

H0=12mp12+12kx12+12mp22+12kx22[6.96]

The Coulomb interaction between the atoms is

H'=14πϵ0(e2R-e2R-x1-e2R+x2+e2R-x1+x2 [6.97]

(a) Explain Equation6.97. Assuming that localid="1658203563220" |x1| and |x2|are both much less than, show that

localid="1658203513972" H'-e2x1x22πϵ0R3 [6.98]

(b) Show that the total Hamiltonian (Equationplus Equation) separates into two harmonic oscillator Hamiltonians:

H=[12mp+2+12(k-e22πϵ0R3x+2]+[+12mp-2+12(k+e22πϵ0R3x-2] [6.99]

under the change of variables

x±12(x1±x2) Which entails p±=12(p1±p2) [6.100]

(c) The ground state energy for this Hamiltonian is evidently

E=12(ω++ω-) Where ω±=k(e2/2πϵ0R3)m [6.101]

Without the Coulomb interaction it would have been E0=ħω0, where ω0=k/m. Assuming that, show that

ΔVE-E0-8m2ω03(e22πϵ0)21R6. [6.102]

Conclusion: There is an attractive potential between the atoms, proportional to the inverse sixth power of their separation. This is the van der Waals interaction between two neutral atoms.

(d) Now do the same calculation using second-order perturbation theory. Hint: The unperturbed states are of the form ψn1(x1)ψn2(x2), where ψn(x)is a one-particle oscillator wave function with mass mand spring constant k;ΔVis the second-order correction to the ground state energy, for the perturbation in Equation 6.98 (notice that the first-order correction is zero).

Question: Evaluate the following commutators :

a)[L·S,L]

b)[L·S,S]

c)role="math" localid="1658226147021" [L·S,J]

d)[L·S,L2]

e)[L·S,S2]

f)[L·S,J2]

Hint: L and S satisfy the fundamental commutation relations for angular momentum (Equations 4.99 and 4.134 ), but they commute with each other.

[LX,LY]=ihLz;[Ly,Lz]=ihLx;[Lz,Lx]=ihLy.......4.99[SX,SY]=ihSz;[Sy,Sz]=ihSx;[Sz,Sx]=ihSy........4.134

Question: Sometimes it is possible to solve Equation 6.10 directly, without having to expand in terms of the unperturbed wave functions (Equation 6.11). Here are two particularly nice examples.

(a) Stark effect in the ground state of hydrogen.

(i) Find the first-order correction to the ground state of hydrogen in the presence of a uniform external electric fieldEext (the Stark effect-see Problem 6.36). Hint: Try a solution of the form

(A+Br+Cr2)e-r/acosθ

your problem is to find the constants , and C that solve Equation 6.10.

(ii) Use Equation to determine the second-order correction to the ground state energy (the first-order correction is zero, as you found in Problem 6.36(a)). Answer:-m(3a2eEext/2)2 .

(b) If the proton had an electric dipole moment p the potential energy of the electron in hydrogen would be perturbed in the amount

H'=-epcosθ4π̀o0r2

(i) Solve Equation 6.10 for the first-order correction to the ground state wave function.

(ii) Show that the total electric dipole moment of the atom is (surprisingly) zero, to this order.

(iii) Use Equation 6.14 to determine the second-order correction to the ground state energy. What is the first-order correction?

Suppose the Hamiltonian H, for a particular quantum system, is a function of some parameter λlet En(λ)and ψn(λ)be the eigen values and

Eigen functions of. The Feynman-Hellmann theorem22states that

Enλ=(ψnHλψn)

(Assuming either that Enis nondegenerate, or-if degenerate-that the ψn's are the "good" linear combinations of the degenerate Eigen functions).

(a) Prove the Feynman-Hellmann theorem. Hint: Use Equation 6.9.

(b) Apply it to the one-dimensional harmonic oscillator,(i)using λ=ω(this yields a formula for the expectation value of V), (II)using λ=ħ(this yields (T)),and (iii)using λ=m(this yields a relation between (T)and (V)). Compare your answers to Problem 2.12, and the virial theorem predictions (Problem 3.31).

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