If a particle in a stationary state is bound, the expectation value of its momentum must be 0.

(a). In words, why?

(b) Prove it.

Starting from the general expression(5-31) with p^in the place of Q, integrate by parts, then argue that the result is identically 0. Be careful that your argument is somehow based on the particle being bound: a free particle certainly may have a non zero momentum. (Note: Without loss of generality,ψ(x) may be chosen to be real.)

Short Answer

Expert verified
  1. The stationary state has an expectation value of momentum equal to 0.
  2. It has been proved.

Step by step solution

01

Given data and the basic concept used.

The expectation value of momentum is 0.

A bound state is a special quantum state of a particle in which the particle has tendency to remain localized in one dimensional.

A stationary state is a state which is independent of time.

02

Step 2:a) Explanation

A stationary state is a state in which the particle's motion is independent of time. The particle moves independently with time. Stationary states have a particular value of energy for a particular state.

A bound state is a state in which a particle possesses a definite value of potential. The particle in the bound state moves in one-dimensional space. That means the accuracy in the position is maximum. The accuracy in the measurements for momentum will be 0 according to the uncertainty principle.

The particle moving in a stationary state possesses zero value of expectation value of momentum. If the expectation value is not zero, it will not possess the characteristics of stationary states. The motion of particles will not be constrained.

Thus, the given statement for the stationary state has been proved.

The obtained expectation value of the momentum is 0.

03

Step 3:b)Mathematical proof

The expression for expectation value of momentum.

p¯=completeψ*(x)p^ψ(x)dx ...............( 1 )

Here,ψ*(x)is the complex conjugate of the wave function andψ(x)is wave function.

The wave function is real in this case,meaning the complex number's complex conjugate will not change.

04

Calculating the value of momentum.

Substitute -idxfor p^and ψ(x)for ψ*(x)in equation (1), and we get,

localid="1660113671504" p¯=-ψ(x)-ixψ(x)dxp¯=(-i)(ψ(x))2-+---ixψ(x)ψ(x)dxp=-iψx2-+-p2p¯=(-i)(ψ(x))2-+

Substitute 0 forψ(x)as the state is bound for limits from -to+ in the above equation, and we get,

2p¯=0p¯=0

Thus, the expectation value of momentum is 0.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

A tiny1μg particle is in a 1 cm wide enclosure and take a yearto bounce from one end to the other and back(a) Haw many nodes are there in the enclosure (b) How would your answer change if the particle were more massive or moving faster.

An electron istrapped in a finite well. How "far" (in eV) is it from being free if the penetration length of its wave function into the classically forbidden region 1nm?

It is possible to take the finite well wave functions further than (21) without approximation, eliminating all but one normalization constant C . First, use the continuity/smoothness conditions to eliminate A, B , andG in favor of Cin (21). Then make the change of variables z=x-L/2 and use the trigonometric relations

sin(a+b)=sinacosb+cosasinband

cos(a+b)=cosacosb-sinasinbon the

functions in region I, -L/2<z<L/2. The change of variables shifts the problem so that it is symmetric about z=0, which requires that the probability density be symmetric and thus that ψ(z)be either an odd or even function of z. By comparing the region II and region III functions, argue that this in turn demands that (α/k)sinkL+coskL must be either +1 (even) or -1 (odd). Next, show that these conditions can be expressed, respectively, as αk=tankL2 and αk=-cotkL2. Finally, plug these separately back into the region I solutions and show that

ψ(z)=C×{eα(z+L/2)          z<L/2coskzcoskL2          -L/2<z<L/2e-α(z-L/2)          z>L/2


or

ψ(z)=C×{eα(z+L/2)          z<L/2-sinkzsinkL2          -L/2<z<L/2e-α(z-L/2)          z>L/2

Note that Cis now a standard multiplicative normalization constant. Setting the integral of |ψ(z)|2 over all space to 1 would give it in terms of kand α , but because we can’t solve (22) exactly for k(or E), neither can we obtain an exact value for C.

In the harmonic oscillators eave functions of figure there is variation in wavelength from the middle of the extremes of the classically allowed region, most noticeable in the higher-n functions. Why does it vary as it does?

The uncertainty in a particle's momentum in an infinite well in the general case of arbitrary nis given bynπhL .

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