Stephen Randall PHYS 402 Homework #1

5.2 We can correct for the motion of the nucleus in hydrogen by simply replacing the electron mass
with the reduced mass.
a) Find (to two significant digits) the percent error in the binding energy of hydrogen introduced by
our use of m instead of .
The original energy is given by
" 2 #
e2

m
E1 = = 13.6 eV
2h2 4e0

where m is the mass of the electron. To substitute the reduced mass, we can note that E1 m
giving the percent error as
( E1 ) E1 m m
= =
( E1 ) M
where mM/(m + M) and M is the mass of the proton. Then

m 9.109 1029
% error = 100 = = 0.054%
M 1.673 1027
b) Find the separation in wavelength between the red Balmer lines (n = 3 n = 2) for hydrogen
and deuterium.
The red Balmer line for hydrogen has a wavelength H given by
"  2 2 #
1 5 H e
= 3
H 36 4ch 4e0

where H is the reduced mass of hydrogen. Numerical evaluation gives

H = 6.567 107 m .

Computing the wavelength of the red Balmer line for deuterium, we use the same formula as
above but with the reduced mass of a system with a nucleus of twice the mass. This yields

D = 6.565 107 m ,

which gives
= 1.787 1010 m
c) Find the binding energy of positronium.
Here = m/2, so by E1 m we know that the binding energy will be 6.8 eV .
c ) Compare the frequencies of the n = 3 n = 2 transition in the positronium and in the hydrogen
atom (taking the proton mass to be infinite). What is the ratio of these two frequencies?
Because 1 m and the reduced mass of positronium is half the mass of the electron in hydro-
gen, the ratio of emitted frequencies for positronium and hydrogen (treating the proton mass as
infinite) is 1/2 .
Stephen Randall PHYS 402 Homework #1

d) At what wavelength would you look for the Lyman- line (n = 2 n = 1) to confirm the existence
of muonic hydrogen?
Using the reduced mass of muonic hydrogen in the formula from part (b) with 3/4 instead of
5/36 we get that
P = 6.54 1010 m

5.5 a) Write down the Hamiltonian for two noninteracting identical particles in the infinite square
well. Verify that the fermion ground state
       x 
2 x1  2x2 2x1 2
12 ( x1 , x2 ) = sin sin sin sin
a a a a a

is an eigenfunction of H with the appropriate eigenvalue (5K, where K 2 h2 /2ma2 ).

In the well of width a, the Hamiltonian is given by

h2  2 2

H = + 2
2m 1

After computing 21 and 22 , the calculation simplifies enormously as all trigonometric func-
tions fall out in

2 2
 5 2
1 + 2 = 2
a
and the eigenvalue equation for H gives

h2  2 
1 + 22 = E
2m
5h2 2
= E
2ma2
which gives (by the definition of our shorthand K)

E = 5K, as desired.

b) Find the next two excited states wavefunctions and energies for each of the three cases (distin-
guishable, identical bosons, and identical fermions).
For distinguishable particles, the wavefunctions are still only products:
   
2 2x1 2x2
22 = sin sin with E22 = 8K (nondegenerate)
a a a
 
2  x 
1 3x2
13 = sin sin with E13 = 10K (degenerate with 31 )
a a a
 
2 3x1  x 
2
31 = sin sin with E31 = 10K (degenerate with 13 ) .
a a a
Stephen Randall PHYS 402 Homework #1

For identical bosons, the wavefunctions must be symmetrized:

   
2 2x1 2x2
22 = sin sin with E22 = 8K (nondegenerate)
a a a
       x 
2 x1  3x2 3x1 2
13 31 = sin sin + sin sin
a a a a a
with E13 = 10K (nondegenerate) .
For identical fermions, the wave functions must be antisymmetrized. Additionally, because the
state 22 isnt allowed, the next highest excited state for identical fermions is 23 :
       x 
2 x1  3x2 3x1 2
13 = sin sin sin sin
a a a a a
with E13 = 10K (nondegenerate)
        
2 2x1 3x2 3x1 2x2
23 = sin sin sin sin
a a a a a
with E23 = 13K (nondegenerate)
c) Consider two identical noninteracting fermions with spins 1/2. The z components of their spins can
take values m = 1/2. Find the wave functions and the energies of the lowest level and the first excited
level for these two particles. Indicate the values of the total spin s in these states and the degeneracy of the
energy levels. Write the wave functions as a product of the coordinate and spin parts.
The ground state is
h 
2 x1   x i
2
11 = sin sin [1 2 1 2 ]
a a a
which has spin s = 0, energy E = 2K, and is nondegenerate. The first excited state is any of:

       x 
1 x1  2x2 2x1 2
s = 0 : 12 = sin sin + sin sin [1 2 1 2 ]
a a a a a
       x 
2 x1  2x2 2x1 2
s = 1 : 12 = sin sin sin sin [1 2 ]
a a a a a
       x 
1 x1  2x2 2x1 2
s = 1 : 12 = sin sin sin sin [1 2 + 1 2 ]
a a a a a
       x 
2 x1  2x2 2x1 2
s = 1 : 12 = sin sin sin sin [1 2 ]
a a a a a

which have energy E = 5K, making this state quadruply degenerate.

Stephen Randall PHYS 402 Homework #1

5.32 Imagine two non-interacting particles, each of mass m, in the one-dimensional harmonic oscillator
potential. If one is in the ground state and the other is in the first excited state, calculate h( x1 x2 )2 i,
assuming (a) they are distinguishable particles, (b) they are identical bosons, and (c) they are identical
fermions. Ignore spin.
The wavefunctions are given by
 m 1/4 2
0 = emx /2h
h
 m 1/4 r 2m 2
1 = x emx /2h .
h h
In Chapter 2, we calculated the expectation values
h
h x i0 = 0 h x 2 i0 =
2m
3h
h x i1 = 0 h x 2 i1 =
2m
and must now calculate the expectation value h x i01 :
Z
h x i01 = dx 0 x 1
R
r Z
m 2 2 /2h
= dx x2 emx
h
r  3/2
m 2 h
=
h 2 2m
h
= .
2m
a) Distinguishable particles:

2h
h( x1 x2 )2 i = h x2 i0 + h x2 i1 2h x i0 h x i1 =
m
b) Identical bosons:
h
h( x1 x2 )2 i = h x2 i0 + h x2 i1 2h x i0 h x i1 2|h x i01 |2 =
m
c) Identical fermions:

3h
h( x1 x2 )2 i = h x2 i0 + h x2 i1 2h x i0 h x i1 + 2|h x i01 |2 =
m
d) Identical fermions with spin 1/2:
Here total spin can be either 0 or 1. In the case of s = 0, the spin part of the wavefunction is
antisymmetric so the spatial part must be symmetric (assuming that position and spin are not
Stephen Randall PHYS 402 Homework #1

coupled). Thus,
h
s = 0 : h( x1 x2 )2 i =
m
In the case of s = 1, the spin part of the wavefunction is symmetric, so the spatial part must be
antisymmetric. Thus,
3h
s = 1 : h( x1 x2 )2 i =
m

5.33 Suppose you have three particles and three distinct one-particle states (a ( x), b ( x), and c ( x))
are available. How many different three-particle states can be constructed (a) if they are distinguishable
particles, (b) if they are identical bosons, and (c) if they are identical fermions?
a) Distinguishable particles: Here each permutation of states is unique a a c 6= a c a so
there are 33 = 27 states available.

b) Identical bosons: Here the permutations are abelian a a c = a c a meaning that there
are 3 (i i i ) + 6 (i i j ) + 1 (i j k ) = 10 states available.

c) Identical fermions: Here the permutations are abelian and no two can be the same thanks to
the exclusion principle. Thus, there is only 1 state available, a b c .

d) Write the wavefunction ( x1 , x2 , x3 ) for three identical fermions in the form of a Slater determinant.

a ( x1 ) b ( x1 ) c ( x1 )
1
( x1 , x2 , x3 ) = det a ( x2 ) b ( x2 ) c ( x2 )
6 a ( x3 ) b ( x3 ) c ( x3 )

1
= [a ( x1 )b ( x2 )c ( x3 ) a ( x1 )c ( x2 )b ( x3 )
6
b ( x1 )a ( x2 )c ( x3 ) + b ( x1 )c ( x2 )a ( x3 )

+ c ( x1 )a ( x2 )b ( x3 ) c ( x1 )b ( x2 )a ( x3 )]