Chapter 6: Q15E (page 224)
Calculate the reflection probability for an electron encountering a step in which the potential drop by
Short Answer
The reflection probability is
Chapter 6: Q15E (page 224)
Calculate the reflection probability for an electron encountering a step in which the potential drop by
The reflection probability is
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Get started for freeThe diagram below plots ω(k) versus wave number for a particular phenomenon. How do the phase and group velocities compare, and do the answer depend on the central value of k under consideration? Explain.
Show that is equivalent to , provided that .
Consider a particle of mass m inside the well as shown in the figure. If bound, its lowest energy state would of course be the ground state, but would it be bound? Assume that for a while, it at least occupies the ground state, which is much lower than, and the barriers qualify as wide. Show that a rough average time it would remain bound is given by: where.
To obtain a rough estimate of the mean time required for uranium-238 to alpha-decay, let us approximate the combined electrostatic and strong nuclear potential energies by rectangular potential barrier half as high as the actual 35 Mev maximum potential energy. Alpha particles (mass 4 u) of 4.3 Mev kinetic energy are incident. Let us also assume that the barrier extends from the radius of nucleus, 7.4 fm to the point where the electrostatic potential drops to 4.3 Mev (i.e., the classically forbidden region). Because , this point is 35/4.3 times the radius of the nucleus, the point at which U(r) is 35 Mev. (a) Use these crude approximations, the method suggested in Section 6.3, and the wide-barrier approximation to obtain a value for the time it takes to decay. (b) To gain some appreciation of the difficulties in a theoretical prediction, work the exercise “backward” Rather than assuming a value for U0, use the known value of the mean time to decay for uranium-238 and infer the corresponding value of U0, Retain all other assumptions. (c) Comment on the sensitivity of the decay time to the height of the potential barrier.
In the potential barrier, there should be no reflection when the incident wave is at one of the transmission resonances. Prove this by assuming that a beam of particles is incident at the first transmission resonance, , and combining continuity equations to show that. (Note: k’ is particularly simple in this special case, which should streamline your work.)
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