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The Physics of Quantum Mechanics

James Binney, David Skinner

Chapter 8

Hydrogen - all with Video Answers

Educators


Chapter Questions

02:53

Problem 1

Some things about hydrogen's gross structure that it's important to know (ignore spin throughout):
(a) What quantum numbers characterise stationary states of hydrogen?
(b) What combinations of values of these numbers are permitted?
(c) Give the formula for the energy of a stationary state in terms of the Rydberg $\mathcal{R}$. What is the value of $\mathcal{R}$ in $\mathrm{eV}$ ?
(d) How many stationary states are there in the first excited level and in the second excited level?
(e) What is the wavefunction of the ground state?
(f) Write down an expression for the mass of the reduced particle.
(g) The wavefunction $\langle\mathbf{x} \mid n\rangle$ of any state with principal quantum number $n$ contains an exponential in $r=|\mathbf{x}|$. Write down the scale-length of this exponential in terms of the Bohr radius $a_{0}$.
(h) We can apply hydrogenic formulae to any two charged particles that are electrostatically bound. How does the ground-state energy then scale with (i) the mass of the reduced particle, and (ii) the charge $Z e$ on the nucleus? (iii) How does the radial scale of the system scale with $Z ?$

Sana Riaz
Sana Riaz
Numerade Educator
01:08

Problem 2

Show, by induction or otherwise, that there are $n^{2}$ stationary states of hydrogen with energy $E=-\mathcal{R} / n^{2}$.

Adriano Chikande
Adriano Chikande
Numerade Educator
01:34

Problem 3

In the Bohr atom, electrons move on classical circular orbits that have angular momenta $l \hbar$, where $l=1,2, \ldots$ Show that the radius of the first Bohr orbit is $a_{0}$ and that the model predicts the correct energy spectrum. In fact the ground state of hydrogen has zero angular momentum. Why did Bohr get correct answers from an incorrect hypothesis?

Sheh Lit Chang
Sheh Lit Chang
University of Washington
04:50

Problem 4

Show that the speed of a classical electron in the lowest Bohr orbit (Problem 8.3) is $v=\alpha c$, where $\alpha=e^{2} / 4 \pi \epsilon_{0} \hbar c$ is the fine-structure constant. What is the corresponding speed for a hydrogen-like Fe ion (atomic number $Z=26$ )? Given these results, what fractional errors must we expect in the energies of states that we derive from non-relativistic quantum mechanics.

Mayank Tripathi
Mayank Tripathi
Numerade Educator
02:25

Problem 5

Show that Bohr's hypothesis (that a particle's angular momentum must be an integer multiple of $\hbar$ ), when applied to the three-dimensional harmonic oscillator, predicts energy levels $E=l \hbar \omega$ with $l=1,2, \ldots$ Is there an experiment that would falsify this prediction?

Keshav Singh
Keshav Singh
Numerade Educator
04:21

Problem 6

Show that the electric field experienced by an electron in the ground state of hydrogen is of order $5 \times 10^{11} \mathrm{~V} \mathrm{~m}^{-1}$. Why is it impossible to generate comparable macroscopic fields using charged electrodes. Lasers are available that can generate beam fluxes as big as $10^{22} \mathrm{~W} \mathrm{~m}^{-2}$. Show that the electric field in such a beam is of comparable magnitude.

Jayashree Behera
Jayashree Behera
Numerade Educator
03:31

Problem 7

Positronium consists of an electron and a positron (both spin-half and of equal mass) in orbit around one another. What are its energy levels? By what factor is a positronium atom bigger than a hydrogen atom?

Tara Appleyard
Tara Appleyard
Numerade Educator
06:59

Problem 8

The emission spectrum of the $\mathrm{He}^{+}$ion contains the Pickering series of spectral lines that is analogous to the Lyman, Balmer and Paschen series in the spectrum of hydrogen.
$$
\begin{array}{lllll}
\hline \text { Balmer } i=1,2, \ldots & 0.456806 & 0.616682 & 0.690685 & 0.730884 \\
\text { Pickering } i=2,4, \ldots & 0.456987 & 0.616933 & 0.690967 & 0.731183 \\
\hline
\end{array}
$$
The table gives the frequencies (in $10^{15} \mathrm{~Hz}$ ) of the first four lines of the Balmer series and the first four even-numbered lines of the Pickering series. The frequencies of these lines in the Pickering series are almost coincident with the frequencies of lines of the Balmer series. Explain this finding. Provide a quantitative explanation of the small offset between these nearly coincident lines in terms of the reduced mass of the electron in the two systems. (In 1896 E.C. Pickering identified the odd-numbered lines in his series in the spectrum of the star $\zeta$ Puppis. Helium had yet to be discovered and he believed that the lines were being produced by hydrogen. Naturally he confused the even-numbered lines of his series with ordinary Balmer lines.)

Linda Winkler
Linda Winkler
Numerade Educator
03:13

Problem 9

Tritium, ${ }^{3} \mathrm{H}$, is highly radioactive and decays with a half-life of $12.3$ years to ${ }^{3}$ He by the emission of an electron from its nucleus. The electron departs with $16 \mathrm{keV}$ of kinetic energy. Explain why its departure can be treated as sudden in the sense that the electron of the original tritium atom barely moves while the ejected electron leaves.
Calculate the probability that the newly formed ${ }^{3} \mathrm{He}$ atom is in an excited state. Hint: evaluate $\langle 1,0,0 ; Z=2 \mid 1,0,0 ; Z=1\rangle$

Keshav Singh
Keshav Singh
Numerade Educator
11:38

Problem 10

A spherical potential well is defined by
$$
V(r)= \begin{cases}0 & \text { for } r<a \\ V_{0} & \text { otherwise }\end{cases}
$$
where $V_{0}>0 .$ Consider a stationary state with angular-momentum quantum number $l .$ By writing the wavefunction $\psi(\mathbf{x})=R(r) \mathrm{Y}_{l}^{m}(\theta, \phi)$ and using $p^{2}=p_{r}^{2}+\hbar^{2} L^{2} / r^{2}$, show that the state's radial wavefunction $R(r)$ must satisfy
$$
-\frac{\hbar^{2}}{2 m}\left(\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d} r}+\frac{1}{r}\right)^{2} R+\frac{l(l+1) \hbar^{2}}{2 m r^{2}} R+V(r) R=E R
$$
Show that in terms of $S(r) \equiv r R(r)$, this can be reduced to
$$
\frac{\mathrm{d}^{2} S}{\mathrm{~d} r^{2}}-l(l+1) \frac{S}{r^{2}}+\frac{2 m}{\hbar^{2}}(E-V) S=0
$$
Assume that $V_{0}>E>0 .$ For the case $l=0$ write down solutions to this equation valid at (a) $r<a$ and (b) $r>a$. Ensure that $R$ does not diverge at the origin. What conditions must $S$ satisfy at $r=a ?$ Show that these conditions can be simultaneously satisfied if and only if a solution can be found to $k \cot k a=-K$, where $\hbar^{2} k^{2}=2 m E$ and $\hbar^{2} K^{2}=2 m\left(V_{0}-E\right) .$ Show graphically that the equation can only be solved when $\sqrt{2 m V_{0}} a / \hbar>\pi / 2$. Compare this result with that obtained for the corresponding one-dimensional potential well.

The deuteron is a bound state of a proton and a neutron with zero angular momentum. Assume that the strong force that binds them produces a sharp potential step of height $V_{0}$ at interparticle distance $a=$ $2 \times 10^{-15} \mathrm{~m}$. Determine in $\mathrm{MeV}$ the minimum value of $V_{0}$ for the deuteron to exist. Hint: remember to consider the dynamics of the reduced particle.

Ameer Said
Ameer Said
Numerade Educator
02:28

Problem 11

Let the wavefunction of the stationary states of the gross-structure Hamiltonian of hydrogen be $\langle\mathbf{x} \mid n, l, m\rangle=u_{n}^{l}(r) \mathrm{Y}_{l}^{m}(\theta, \phi) .$ Show that
$$
\int_{0}^{\infty} \mathrm{d} r r^{2} u_{n}^{l}(r) u_{n^{\prime}}^{l}(r)=\delta_{n n^{\prime}}
$$
By considering an appropriate Sturm-Liouville equation, or otherwise, show further that
$$
\int_{0}^{\infty} \mathrm{d} r u_{n}^{l}(r) u_{n}^{l^{\prime}}(r)=C_{l} \delta_{l l^{\prime}}
$$

Keshav Singh
Keshav Singh
Numerade Educator
01:56

Problem 12

Show that for hydrogen the matrix element $\langle 2,0,0|z| 2,1,0\rangle=$ $-3 a_{0}$. On account of the non-zero value of this matrix element, when an electric field is applied to a hydrogen atom in its first excited state, the atom's energy is linear in the field strength $(\S 10.1 .2)$.

Nick Johnson
Nick Johnson
Numerade Educator
02:15

Problem 13

From equation $(8.50)$ show that $l^{\prime}+\frac{1}{2}=\sqrt{\left(l+\frac{1}{2}\right)^{2}-\beta}$ and that the increment $\Delta$ in $l^{\prime}$ when $l$ is increased by one satisfies $\Delta^{2}+\Delta\left(2 l^{\prime}+1\right)=$ $2(l+1)$. By considering the amount by which the solution of this equation changes when $l^{\prime}$ changes from $l$ as a result of $\beta$ increasing from zero to a small number, show that
$$
\Delta=1+\frac{2 \beta}{4 l^{2}-1}+\mathrm{O}\left(\beta^{2}\right)
$$
Explain the physical significance of this result.

Gaurav Kalra
Gaurav Kalra
Numerade Educator
02:13

Problem 14

Show that Ehrenfest's theorem yields equation $(8.74)$ with $\mathbf{B}=0$ as the classical equation of motion of the vector $\mathbf{S}$ that is implied by the spin-orbit Hamiltonian (8.75).

James Kiss
James Kiss
Numerade Educator
16:18

Problem 15

(a) A particle of mass $m$ moves in a spherical potential $V(r)$. Show that according to classical mechanics
$$
\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d} t}\left(\mathbf{p} \times \mathbf{L}_{\mathrm{c}}\right)=m r^{2} \frac{\mathrm{d} V}{\mathrm{~d} r} \frac{\mathrm{d} \mathbf{e}_{r}}{\mathrm{~d} t}
$$
where $\mathbf{L}_{\mathrm{c}}=\mathbf{r} \times \mathbf{p}$ is the classical angular-momentum vector and $\mathbf{e}_{r}$ is the unit vector in the radial direction. Hence show that when $V(r)=-K / r$, with $K$ a constant, the Runge-Lenz vector $\mathbf{M}_{\mathrm{c}} \equiv \mathbf{p} \times \mathbf{L}_{\mathrm{c}}-m K \mathbf{e}_{r}$ is a constant of motion. Deduce that $\mathbf{M}_{\mathrm{c}}$ lies in the orbital plane, and that for an elliptical orbit it points from the centre of attraction to the pericentre of the orbit, while it vanishes for a circular orbit.
(b) Show that in quantum mechanics $(\mathbf{p} \times \mathbf{L})^{\dagger}-\mathbf{p} \times \mathbf{L}=-2 \mathbf{i p}$. Hence explain why in quantum mechanics we take the Runge-Lenz vector operator to be
$$
\mathbf{M} \equiv \frac{1}{2} \hbar \mathbf{N}-m K \mathbf{e}_{r} \quad \text { where } \quad \mathbf{N} \equiv \mathbf{p} \times \mathbf{L}-\mathbf{L} \times \mathbf{p}
$$
Explain why we can write down the commutation relation $\left[L_{i}, M_{j}\right]=$ $\mathrm{i} \sum_{k} \epsilon_{i j k} M_{k}$
(c) Explain why $\left[p^{2}, N\right]=0$ and why $[1 / r, \mathbf{p} \times \mathbf{L}]=[1 / r, \mathbf{p}] \times \mathbf{L}$ Hence show that
$$
[1 / r, \mathbf{N}]=\mathrm{i}\left\{\frac{1}{r^{3}}\left(r^{2} \mathbf{p}-\mathbf{x} \mathbf{x} \cdot \mathbf{p}\right)-\left(\mathbf{p} r^{2}-\mathbf{p} \cdot \mathbf{x} \mathbf{x}\right) \frac{1}{r^{3}}\right\}
$$
(d) Show that
$$
\left[p^{2}, \mathbf{e}_{r}\right]=\mathrm{i} \hbar\left\{-\left(\mathbf{p} \frac{1}{r}+\frac{1}{r} \mathbf{p}\right)+\sum_{j}\left(p_{j} \frac{x_{j}}{r^{3}} \mathbf{x}+\mathbf{x} \frac{x_{j}}{r^{3}} p_{j}\right)\right\}
$$
(e) Hence show that $[H, \mathbf{M}]=0 .$ What is the physical significance of this result?
(f) Show that (i) $\left[M_{i}, L^{2}\right]=\mathrm{i} \sum_{j k} \epsilon_{i j k}\left(M_{k} L_{j}+L_{j} M_{k}\right)$, (ii) $\left[L_{i}, M^{2}\right]=$ 0, where $M^{2} \equiv M_{x}^{2}+M_{y}^{2}+M_{z}^{2} .$ What are the physical implications of these results?
(g) Show that
$$
\left[N_{i}, N_{j}\right]=-4 \mathrm{i} \sum_{u} \epsilon_{i j u} p^{2} L_{u}
$$
and that
$$
\left[N_{i},\left(\mathbf{e}_{r}\right)_{j}\right]-\left[N_{j},\left(\mathbf{e}_{r}\right)_{i}\right]=-\frac{4 \mathrm{i} \hbar}{r} \sum_{t} \epsilon_{i j t} L_{t}
$$
and hence that
$$
\left[M_{i}, M_{j}\right]=-2 \mathrm{i} \hbar^{2} m H \sum_{k} \epsilon_{i j k} L_{k}
$$
What physical implication does this equation have?

Amit Srivastava
Amit Srivastava
Numerade Educator