PHN-204 (Atomic Physics) B Tech.

Eng Physics II year & BS-MS II Year

1. Write down the total wavefunctions of the hydrogen atom in its 1st and 2nd orbits. Plot the radial
wavefunctions and angular wavefunctions separately for these orbits.

2. (a) Using Bohr’s model, calculate the radius of the 1st and 2nd orbit of the electron in Hydrogen atom (in
units of Bohr radius a0).
(b) Find the most probable radius for the electron of a Hydrogen atom in the 1s and 2p states. Given that
the radial probability distribution P(r)dr is r2R(r)dr. (c) Compare your answers to (a) and (b).

3. Using Bohr’s theory of Hydrogen atom, calculate the circumference of the first Bohr’s orbit and the linear
momentum of the electron moving in that orbit. Find the de Broglie wavelength of this electron and its
relation to the circumference of the orbit. Comment on your result.

4. Calculate, using the appropriate R(r), the average orbital radius (in units of a0) of a 1s electron in the H
atom. Is the average radius > or < the corresponding most-probable radius (Question 2)?

5. What is the probability of finding the electron in 1s state of the H atom at a radius larger than the Bohr
radius? You may use the ∫ exp(− 2𝑟⁄𝑎03 ) 𝑟 2 𝑑𝑟 = (5/4) 𝑎0 𝑒 −2 for the appropriate limits. (Ans. 0.68)

6. What are the operator forms of momentum and orbital angular momentum in polar and Cartesian
coordinates? Evaluate their commutation among themselves and with each other

7. Write operators corresponding to the various rectangular components of angular momentum in spherical
polar coordinates and show that

̂2 = −ℏ2 [ 1 𝜕 𝜕 1 𝜕2
𝑳 (sin 𝜃 ) + ]
sin 𝜃 𝜕𝜃 𝜕𝜃 𝑠𝑖𝑛2 𝜃 𝜕∅2
Hence deduce expressions for the eigenvalues of the angular momentum and its z-component.

8. For a H atom in 6f state, find the minimum angle between the orbital angular momentum and the z axis.
(Ans. 30o)

9. A Hydrogen atom in an excited 5f state is in a magnetic field of 3 T. (Ignoring the magnetic spin effects)
How many different energy states can the electron have in the 5f subshell? (a) What is the energy of the 5f
state in the absence of magnetic field? (b) What will the energy of each of its components be in the presence
of magnetic field?
(Ans. (b) E0 = -0.544 eV; E0 ± 1.74 × 10–4 eV; E0 ± 3.47 × 10–4 eV)

10. An experimenter wants to separate silver atoms in a Stern Gerlach experiment by at least 1 cm (a large
separation) as they exit the magnetic field. To heat the silver, he has an oven that can reach 1000oC, and he
needs to order a suitable magnet. What should be the specifications of the magnet, or in other words, what
should be the product of its length squared and vertical magnetic field gradient it produces? (Ans. 57 Tm)

11. In Stern Gerlach experiment, a beam of Hydrogen atoms, from an oven heated at 400K, passes through a
magnetic field of length 1.0 m and having a gradient of 10 T/m perpendicular to the original direction of
the beam. Calculate the transverse deflection of an atom of the beam at the point where the beam leaves the
field. Discuss the result and comment on the deflection of the beam after it leaves the magnetic field. The
 value of the Bohr magneton µB is 9.28 × 10–24A-m2.
(Ans. ± 0.28 cm)

12. Calculate the possible orientations of the total angular momentum vector J corresponding to J = 3/2. Also
show, in a separate diagram, the splitting of levels in the presence of a weak magnetic field. (Ans: 39.2o,
75o, 105o, 140.8o)

13. Calculate the possible orientations of spin vector (S = ½) with respect to magnetic field direction, and the
value of corresponding magnetic moment and its z components.
Ans. 54.7o, 125.3o)

14. Determine the angles: between L and J, L and S, and S and J for the state 2P3/2.
(Ans. cos-1((5/6)1/2), cos-1((1/6)1/2), cos-1((5/9)1/2)

15. Explain in terms of vector atom model, why is the 4D1/2 term not split in a magnetic field.

16. The ground state of an atom is 2P3/2. Find its magnetic moment. Into how many sub-states will this state
split in presence of a weak magnetic field?

17. Discuss the splitting of the lines in the 3d↔2p transition in the presence of a magnetic field when the
Zeeman splitting is small compared to the spin-orbit interaction.

18. Draw the spectral lines for 2D5/2 → 2P3/2 transition when the atom is placed in a weak external magnetic
field.

19. Illustrate with the help of diagrams the splitting of 1D and 3D levels of cadmium when (i) a weak magnetic
field, (ii) a strong magnetic field is applied.

20. Calculate the Zeeman pattern arising from the transition 3D3 → 3P2.

21. Sketch the Zeeman splitting in the lines of the hydrogen atom Balmer series. Calculate the magnetic
moments of the states P1/2, P3/2, D3/2 and D5/2 . Also sketch the splitting in the Paschen-Back effect. At what
magnetic field does the transition from the Zeeman to the Paschen-Back effect occur?

22. Consider hydrogen atoms in a magnetic field B = 4.5 tesla. At this field strength, is the splitting of the Hα-
line (n = 3→ n = 2) due to the anomalous Zeeman effect or the Paschen-Back effect? Support your answer.

23. The spectral lines corresponding to the 3p↔2s transition in sodium have the wavelengths λ2 = 5895.9 Å
and λ1 = 5889,6 Å. Calculate the magnetic field strength at which the lowest Zeeman level of the 2P3/2 term
would coincide with the highest level of the 2P1/2 term, if the conditions for the anomalous Zeeman effect
were still fulfilled.