PYL122 Assignment 9
Tobias Toll
Instructions: Solve the problems during the tutorial session. Hand in the solutions to the TA one
week after the last tutorial. Submit hardcopy to MS207c-19, or soft copy to
[Link]@[Link]. Assignment will be considered for marks if handed in on
time.
1. Addition of Angular Momenta
̂ ̂ ̂ ̂ ̂
Let J ⃗ = J1⃗ + J2⃗ where J1⃗ and J2⃗ are angular momentum operators.
̂
(a) Show that this implies that J ⃗ is an angular momentum operator.
(b) Show that J 21̂ , J 22̂ , J 2̂ , and Jẑ have common eigenstates.
(c) Show that these are not eigenstates of J1ẑ and J2z ̂ .
(d) We may write the combined angular momentum eigenstates of J 21̂ , J1ẑ and J 22̂ , J2z ̂ as
| j1m1; j2 m 2⟩ ≡ | j1, m1⟩ | j2, m 2⟩. We write the eigenstates to J 1, J 2, J , and Jẑ as | j1 j2; jm⟩
2̂ 2̂ 2̂
Show that m = m1 + m 2
(e) Show that | j1 − j2 | ≤ j ≤ j1 + j2
(f) We can always express the eigenstates in one basis as a linear combination of the eigenstates
j1 j2
in a different basis. Here | j1 j2; jm⟩ = δmm1+m 2 α( j1, m1, j2, m 2 ) | j1m1; j2 m 2⟩
∑ ∑
m1=−j1 m 2 =−j2
With α( j1, m1, j2, m 2 ) = ⟨j1m1; j2 m 2 | j1 j2; jm⟩
11
Find the combined eigenfunctions for two spin 1/2 particles | ; sm⟩ expressed is the
22
1 1 1
original spin bases | , m1⟩ and | , m 2⟩ (for j = we usually call it spin and denote it by s).
2 2 2
(g) Calculate the Clebsch-Gordan coefficients for combining the spins of two spin 1/2 particles.
*(h) Calculate the Clebsch-Gordan coefficients for combining an electron’s spin with its
angular momentum with l = 1. Proceed similarly as with the case of two spin 1/2 particles:
1. Find all possible j-values. Take the state with largest j value and largest m-value. This must
correspond to the state with largest ml and ms values in the uncoupled base. One coefficient has
been found. By symmetry, the state with smallest m-value has also been found.
2. Act on the coupled state in 1. with J− and the uncoupled state with L− + S− to find the next
state. By symmetry you have now found the CG-coefficients for two more states.
3. The remaining states are found by applying the orthonormality condition.
2. Some fundamentals
You have previously found that the eigenvalues to the momentum operator (in one dimension)
is | p⟩ = ψp(x) = e ipx/ℏ.
(a) Convince yourself that the eigenvalues to the position operator x ̂ for measuring the position
of a particle at x = x0 is given by | x⟩ = ϕx (x) = δ(x − x0 ) where δ(x − x0 ) is the Dirac delta-
∞
∫−∞
function with the property dxδ(x − x0 )f (x) = f (x0 )
As you may notice, neither ϕx (x) nor ψp(x) are normalisable. This is related to the fact that the
free particle solutions are also non-normalisable.
(b) In the course we have been expressing wavefunctions in coordinate space ψ = ψ (x). We
∫
may also express them in momentum space via a Fourier transform: ψ̃ (k) = dxe −2πik x ψ (x)
where the momentum is as usual p = h k.
What is the overlap between the momentum eigenvalues and ψ (x): ⟨p | ψ⟩?
1 x2
− 2σ
(c) Let our system be in a state ψ (x) = e x, a Gaussian with width Δx = σx .
σx 2π
Find ψ̃ ( p) and Δp. What is ΔxΔp? What happens to the two states as σx → 0?
You may read more about this in Shankar, Chapter 1.
3. The Hydrogen Atom
We have found the solutions to the electron wave function in the hydrogen atom as
e −κr n 2qκ − 2/a
R(r)Υm bqr q with bq+1 =
∑
Ψ(r, θ, ϕ) = l (θ, ϕ), with R(r) = b
l r q=l+1 q(q + 1) − l(l + 1) q
Here, n = 1,2,3… is the principal quantum number (a better name would be the radius
4
quantum number), l < n, and from normalisation we found that b1 = . Here,
a3
2m En 4π ϵ0ℏ2 me mp
2
κ =− > 0, and the Bohr radius a = , with the reduced mass m = .
ℏ2 m e2 me + mp
(a) Write down the complete 3D wave-function for the ground state, as well as its energy and draw
R(r) as a function of r
(b) Find the expectation value of r in the ground state.
(c) Find the most common value of r in the ground state.
(d) Find the wave functions of the first excited states and its energy.
(e) How many possible states are there for the electron in the ground state and in the first excited
state? Can you relate this to the periodic table of elements?
Hint: The probability of finding the electron in the radius interval between r and r + dr is given by
dP = | R(r) |2 r 2 dr