H = -(ħ2/(2m))(∂2/∂x2)
+ ½mω2x2
is the harmonic oscillator Hamiltonian.
(∂2/∂x2)Φ(x)
+ (2m/ħ2)(E
- ½mω2x2)Φ(x)
= 0 is the eigenvalue equation.
The eigenvalues are En
= (n + ½)ħω,
n = 0, 1, 2, ... .
The normalized ground state wave
function of the 1-dimensional harmonic oscillator is
Φ0(x)
= (mω/(πħ))¼exp(-½mωx2/ħ).
The wave functions of the excited states are
Φn(x) = (n! 2n)-½(β/√π)½Hn(η)
exp(-½η2),
where η = (mω/ħ)½ x = βx.
Specifically,
Φ1(x) = ((4/π)(mω/ħ)3)¼ x exp(-½mωx2/ħ),
Φ2(x) = (mω/(4πħ))¼[2mωx2/ħ
- 1] exp(-½mωx2/ħ).
Φn(x) is the product of exp(-½mωx2/ħ) and a polynomial of degree n
and parity (-1)n called a
Hermite
polynomial.
Defining scaled operators
Xs = (mω/ħ)½X, Ps = (mωħ)-½P,
and new operators
a = (2)-½(Xs + iPs), and its adjoint, a†
= (2)-½(Xs - iPs), we can write
H = ħω(a†a + ½) = ħω(aa† - ½) =
½ħω(aa† + a†a).
The operators a and a† do not commute.
[a, a†] = 1.
H and a†a have the same eigenstates {|n>}.
a†a|n> = n|n>, H|n> = (n + ½)ħω|n>.
a|n> = √(n) |n-1>, a†|n> = √(n+1) |n+1>.
Consider a spinless particle of mass m in a central potential U(r). The
Hamiltonian operator is
-(ħ2/(2m))(1/r)(∂2/∂r2)r
+ L2/(2mr2) + U(r),
[H, Li] = 0, [H, L2] = 0.
The angular momentum L of the particle is a constant of motion. We
can find a common eigenbasis of H, L2 and Lz. We denote
these basis states |k,l,m> and the corresponding eigenfunctions by ψklm(r,θ,φ). We have
H|klm> = Ekl|klm>, L2|klm> =
ħ2l(l + 1)|klm>,
Lz|klm> = mħ|klm>.
The wave function ψklm(r,θ,φ)
= Rkl(r)Ylm(θ,φ) = [ukl(r)/r]Ylm(θ,φ)
is a product of a radial function Rkl(r) and the spherical harmonic Ylm(θ,φ).
The differential equation for ukl(r) is
[-(ħ2/(2m))(∂2/∂r2)
+ ħ2l(l + 1)/(2mr2)
+ U(r)]ukl(r) = Eklukl(r).
The asymptotic behavior of Rkl(r)
Near the origin the radial behavior of an acceptable wave function of a
particle moving in a central potential is proportional to rl, (if |U(r)|
< |C/r2| as r --> 0).
Two interacting particles
We are often only interested in the relative motion. If the mutual
interaction depends only on the distance between the particles r = |r1-r2|,
then the eigenvalue equation for the relative motion becomes
-(ħ2/(2μ))∇2rΦ(r)
+ U(r)Φ(r)
= ErΦ(r).
With
Φklm(r) = Rkl(r)Ylm(θ,φ)
= [ukl(r)/r]Ylm(θ,φ) we
have
[-(ħ2/(2μ))(∂2/∂r2)
+ ħ2l(l + 1)/(2μr2)
+ U(r)]ukl(r) = Eklukl(r).
Here μ
is the reduced mass.
The time-independent Schroedinger equation for the hydrogen atom is
H(r,p)Φ(r) = [-(ħ2/(2μ))∇2
- e2/r]Φ(r) = EΦ(r),
where μ = memp/(me + mp) ≈ me.
Writing
Φnlm(r) = Rnl(r)Ylm(θ,φ)
= [unl(r)/r]Ylm(θ,φ)
we find
u10(r) = 2a0-3/2 r exp(-r/a0),
Φ100(r) = (πa03)-½
exp(-r/a0).
Here a0 = ħ2/(μe2).
The ground state energy of the hydrogen atom is -EI.
EI = e2/(2a0) = μe4/(2ħ2)
= (μ/2)α2c2 = 13.6 eV,
where α2
= e4/(ħ2c2),
α = e2/(ħc)
= 1/137. α is the fine structure constant.
En = -EI/n2 = -(μ/(2n2))α2c2
is the energy of the nth excited state. Here n is called the principal quantum
number, n fixes the energy of the eigenstate. Given n, l can take on n possible
values l = 0, 1, 2, ..., (n - 1). n characterizes an electron shell, which
contains n subshells characterized by l. Each subshell contains 2l + 1 distinct
states.
We also write En = -μe4/(2ħ2n2)
= -hcRH/n2
RH is the Rydberg constant.
En' - En
= hcRH(1/n2 -
1/n'2).
To find the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of the Hamiltonian of a hydrogenic atom we replace in the eigenfunctions of the Hamiltonian of the hydrogen atom a0 by a0' = ħ2/(μ'Ze2) = a0(μ/μ')(1/Z), and in the eigenvalues of the Hamiltonian of the hydrogen atom we replace EI by EI' = μ'Z2e4/(2ħ2) = EI(μ'/μ)Z2.