Quantum Mechanics II - Homework Assignment 4

Alejandro Gomez Espinosa

March 3, 2013
1) Shankar Ex. 19.3.3 Show that for the Gaussian potential, V (r) = V
0
e
r
2
/r
2
0
,
d
d
=
r
2
0
4
_
V
0
r
2
0
h
2
_
2
e
q
2
r
2
0
/2
(1)
=

2
2k
2
_
V
0
r
2
0
h
2
_
2
(1 e
2k
2
r
2
0
) (2)
Hint: Since q
2
= 2k
2
(1 cos ), d(cos ) = d(q
2
)/2k
2
.
To calculate the dierential cross-section:
d
d
= |f()|
2
(3)
we must rst calculate f(), with (19.3.10):
f() =
2
h
2
q
_

0
e
iqr

e
iqr

2i
V (r

)r

dr

=
2
h
2
q
_

0
e
iqr

e
iqr

2i
V
0
e

2
r
0
r

dr

=
V
0
ih
2
q
_

0
_
exp
_
iqr

2
r
2
0
_
exp
_
iqr

2
r
2
0
__
r

dr

if t =
r

r
0
and dt =
dr

r
0
:
=
V
0
ih
2
q
_

0
_
exp
_
iqr
0
t t
2
_
exp
_
iqr
0
t t
2
__
r
2
0
t dt
=
V
0
ih
2
q
_

0
_
exp
_
q
2
r
2
0
4
+ iqr
0
t t
2

q
2
r
2
0
4
_
exp
_
q
2
r
2
0
4
iqr
0
t t
2

q
2
r
2
0
4
__
r
2
0
t dt
=
V
0
r
2
0
ih
2
q
e

q
2
r
2
0
4
_

0
_
exp
_

_
qr
0
2
+ t
_
2
_
exp
_

_
qr
0
2
t
_
2
__
t dt

gomez@physics.rutgers.edu
1
if s =
qr
0
2
t and dt = ds:
=
V
0
r
2
0
ih
2
q
e

q
2
r
2
0
4
_

_
e
s
2
_
qr
0
2
s
_
e
s
2
_

qr
0
2
s
__
ds
=
V
0
r
2
0
ih
2
q
e

q
2
r
2
0
4
_

e
s
2
qr
0
ds
=
V
0
r
2
0
ih
2
q
e

q
2
r
2
0
4
qr
0

2
=
V
0
r
3
0

2ih
2
e

q
2
r
2
0
4
Plugging this expression into (3) :
d
d
=

V
0
r
2
0

2ih
2
e

q
2
r
3
0
4

2
=

2
V
2
0
r
6
0

4 h
4
e

q
2
r
2
0
2
(4)
that is the same relation as (1). Finally,
=
_
d
d
d =
_

2
V
2
0
r
6
0

4h
4
e

q
2
r
2
0
2
d
=

2
V
2
0
r
6
0

4h
4
_
e
k
2
(1cos )r
2
0
d
=

2
V
2
0
r
6
0

4h
4
_
e
k
2
(1cos )r
2
0
sin dd
=

2
V
2
0
r
6
0

4h
4
2
_

0
e
k
2
(1cos )r
2
0
sin d
=

2
V
2
0
r
6
0

2
2h
4
_
1
0
e
k
2
r
2
0
t
dt if t = 1 cos , dt = sin d
=

2
V
2
0
r
6
0

2
2h
4
_
1 e
2k
2
r
2
0
_
k
2
r
2
0
=

2
V
2
0
r
4
0

2
2h
4
k
2
_
1 e
2k
2
r
2
0
_
Shankar Ex. 19.3.4 Verify the claim for the Gaussian potential.
Let us analyze the dierential cross section found in (4):
d
d
=

2
V
2
0
r
6
0

4h
4
e

q
2
r
2
0
2
=

2
V
2
0
r
6
0

4h
4
e

4k
2
sin
2
(/2)r
2
0
2
(5)
using the relation (19.3.6) q
2
= 4k
2
sin(/2). Equation (5) corresponds to a Gaussian function
of variable k whose width is (2 sin(/2)r
0
)
1
. This value is maximum when sin(/2) = 0
= 0. An scattering phenomena at = 0 corresponds to a forward scattering. Here, as the
discussion for the Yukawa potential in the book, the scattering amplitude is appreciable only
in a small forward cone where
k (2 sin(/2)r
0
)
1
otherwise the scattering will decrease exponentially. Using an small angle approximation:
k (2 sin(/2)r
0
)
1

1
r
0

1
kr
0
Same result as (19.3.18) for the Yukawa potential.
2
Shankar Ex. 19.5.3 (1) Show that
0
4r
2
0
for a hard sphere as k 0.
The cross section in the case of a hard sphere, neglecting the background phase, is given by:

l
=
4
k
2
(2l + 1) sin
2

l
(6)
where, in the case of k 0:

l
(kr
0
)
2l+1
(7)
when l = 0:

0
=
4
k
2
sin
2

0

4
k
2

2
0
=
4
k
2
(kr
0
)
2
= 4r
2
0
(2) Consider the other extreme of kr
0
very large. From Eq. (19.5.27) and the asymptotic forms of
j
i
and n
i
show that
sin
2

l

kr
0

sin
2
(kr
0
l/2) (8)
so that
=
l
max=kr
0

l=0

l

=
4
k
2
_
kr
0
0
(2l) sin
2

l
dl

= 2r
2
0
(9)
if we approximate the sum over l by an integral, 2l +1 by 2l, and the oscillating function sin
2

by its mean value of 1/2.

From eq. (19.5.27):

l
= tan
1
_
B
l
A
l
_
= tan
1
_
j
l
(kr
0
)
n
l
(kr
0
)
_
tan
1
_
_
sin(kr
0

l
2
)
kr
0

cos(kr
0

l
2
)
kr
0
_
_
= tan
1
_
tan
_
kr
0

l
2
__
=
_
kr
0

l
2
_
Therefore,
sin
2

l
sin
2
_
kr
0

l
2
_
Thus,
=
l
max=kr
0

l=0

l

=
4
k
2
_
kr
0
0
(2l) sin
2

l
dl
=
4
k
2
_
kr
0
0
(2l) sin
2
_
kr
0

l
2
_
dl

4
k
2
_
kr
0
0
(2l)
_
kr
0
2
_
dl
=
4
k
2
_
k
2
r
2
0
_
= 4r
2
0
3
Shankar Ex. 19.5.6 (The Optical Theorem)
(1) Show that the radial component of the current density due to interference between the incident
and scattered waves is
j
int
r

_
hk

_
1
r
[ie
ikr(cos 1)
f

() cos + ie
ikr(1cos )
f()] (10)
Let us start with the probability current:
J =
h
2mi
(

) =
h

) (11)
where the wavefunction in case of scattering is given by:
= e
ikr cos
+ f()
e
ikr
r
(12)
Plugging (12) into (11), and considering only the radial components:
J =
h

__
e
ikr cos
+ f()

e
ikr
r
_

_
e
ikr cos
+ f()
e
ikr
r
__
=
h

__
e
ikr cos
+ f()

e
ikr
r
__
ik cos e
ikr cos
+ f()ik
e
ikr
r
f()
e
ikr
r
2
__

__
e
ikr cos
+ f()

e
ikr
r
__
ik cos e
ikr cos
+ f()ik
e
ikr
r
__
=
h

_
ik cos + ikf()
e
ikr(1cos )
r
+ ik cos f()

e
ikr(cos 1)
r
+ ik
f()

r
2
_

hk
mr

_
if()e
ikr(1cos )
+ i cos f()

e
ikr(cos 1)
_
(2) Argue that as long as = 0, the average of j
int
r
over any small solid angle is zero because
r . [Assume f() is a smooth function.]
In the case that = 0 in (10), j
int
r
is only function of f() that is a smooth function. Then, if
= 0 in this approximation j
int
r
must depend upon e
ikr(cos 1)
that describes a fast oscillating
function. Therefore, the average of this probability current will be zero.
4
(3) Integrate j
int
r
over a tiny cone in the forward direction and show that
_
fc
j
int
r
r
2
d =
_
hk

_
4
k
f(0) (13)
Since j
inc
equals hk/, the current behind the target is
hk

_
1
4
k
f(0)
_
(14)
Equating the current loss to the current intercepted by the total cross section , regain the
optical theorem. (Hint: Since is small, set sin , cos = 1 or 1
2
/2 using the
judgment. In evaluating the upper limit in the integration, use the idea introduced in Ch.1,
namely, that the limit of a function that oscillates as its argument approaches innity is equals
to its average value.)
Since is small, (10) becomes:
j
int
r

_
hk

_
1
r
[ie
ikr

2
2
f

() + ie
ikr

2
2
f()] (15)
Then, the integral:
_
fc
j
int
r
r
2
d
_
fc
_
hk

_
1
r
[ie
ikr

2
2
f

() + ie
ikr

2
2
f()]r
2
d
=
_
hk

_
r
_
fc
[ie
ikr

2
2
f

() + ie
ikr

2
2
f()] sin d d

_
hk

_
2r
_

0
[ie
ikr

2
2
f

() + ie
ikr

2
2
f()] d
=
_
hk

_
2r
_

_i
e
ikr

2
2
ikr

0
f

(0) + i
e
ikr

2
2
ikr

0
f(0)
_

_
=
_
hk

_
2r
_
f

(0)
kr

f(0)
kr
_
=
_
hk

_
4r
kr
[f(0)] =
_
4h

_
[f(0)]
5
4) The Hamiltonian H = H
probe
+H
target
+H
int
describes a target system consisting of a particle of mass
m and charge q bound to the origin in an isotropic 3D simple harmonic oscillator potential, H
targ
=
p
2
/2m+
1
2
m
2
0
r
2
; a non-relativistic probe particle of mass M and charge Q, H
probe
= P
2
/2M; and a
Coulomb interaction between them, H
int
= q/|rR|. Calculate, in the rst Born approximation for
inelastic scattering, the dierential scattering cross section d/d for a probe particle which enters
from the x direction with energy 3h and exits along the + z direction with energy 2 h
0
, having
induced a transition from the ground state to an excited state of the target system.
For this problem, the starting point will be the expressions I derived in class:
d
d
=
_
M
2h
2
_
2
K
f
K
i

n
|K
f
, n|V |K
i
, s|
2
(16)
K
f
, n|V |K
i
, s =
4
K
2

ns
(K) (17)

ns
(K) = qn|e
iKr
|s (18)
where V = H
int
, K = K
f
K
i
, and the sum is over energy-conserving transitions. You can assume
these results without proof.
From (16), we have that:
f() =
M
2h
2

K
f
K
i

n
|K
f
, n|V |K
i
, s|=
2M
h
2
K
2

K
f
K
i

n
q|n|e
ikr
|s| (19)
using relations (17) and (18). But, since the incoming particle is moving in the x direction and
exits along + z direction: K r = (K
f
z K
i
x) (x x + y y + z z) = K
f
z K
i
x. Therefore,
f() =
2M
h
2
K
2

K
f
K
i

n
q|n|e
i(K
f
zKxx)
|s| (20)
Then, to take into account the energy conservation, we see that the particle must go from the ground
state to the rst excited state, it means that the matrix elements must be 1|V |0 in the case of 1D
SHO. Also, in the case of the SHO, the wavefunctions in the coordinate representation are:
|n =
1

2
n
n!
_
m
h
_
1/4
e

mx
2
2 h
Hn
__
m
h
x
_
(21)
where Hn are the Hermite functions. Then, let us compute the matrix elements for x:
0|e
ikx
|0 =
_

_
m
0
h
_
1/2
e

m
0
x
2
h
e
ikx
dx
=
_
m
0
h
_
1/2
_

exp
_

m
0
x
2
h
ikx
_
dx
=
_
m
0
h
_
1/2
_
_
h
m
0
exp
_
h(ik)
2
4m
0
_
_
= e

hk
2
4m
0
6
1|e
ikx
|0 =
_

2
_
m
0
h
_
1/2
e

m
0
x
2
h
xe
ikx
dx
=
_
m
0
2h
_
1/2
_

xexp
_

m
0
x
2
h
ikx
_
dx
=
_
m
0
h
_
1/2
_
ik
_
h
2m
0
_
1/2
_
h
m
0
exp
_
h(ik)
2
4m
0
_
_
= ik
_
h
2m
0
_
1/2
e

hk
2
4m
0
Applying this to our case of 3D |n
x
, n
y
, n
z
states, we have:
1, 0, 0|V |0, 0, 0 = 1, 0, 0|e
i(K
f
zKxx)
|0, 0, 0
= 1|e
iKxx)
|00|00|e
iK
f
z
|0
=
_
ik
_
h
2m
0
_
1/2
e

hk
2
4m
0
_
_
e

hk
2
4m
0
_
= ik
_
h
2m
0
_
1/2
e

hk
2
2m
0
0, 1, 0|V |0, 0, 0 = 0|e
iKxx
|01|00|e
iK
f
z
|0 = 0
0, 0, 1|V |0, 0, 0 = 0|e
iKxx
|00|01|e
iK
f
z
|0
=
_
e

hk
2
4m
0
_
_
ik
_
h
2m
0
_
1/2
e

hk
2
4m
0
_
= ik
_
h
2m
0
_
1/2
e

hk
2
2m
0
Replacing this values into (21):
f() =
2Mq
h
2
K
2

K
f
K
i

n
|n|e
i(K
f
zKxx)
|s|
=
2Mq
h
2
K
2

K
f
K
i
_
1, 0, 0|e
i(K
f
zKxx)
|0, 0, 0 +0, 0, 1|e
i(K
f
zKxx)
|0, 0, 0
_
=
2Mq
h
2
K
2

K
f
K
i
_
2ik
_
h
2m
0
_
1/2
e

hk
2
2m
0
_
Finally,
d
d
= |f()|
2
=
16M
2
q
2
h
4
K
2
K
f
K
i
h
2m
0
e

hk
2
m
0
=
16M
2
q
2
h
4
K
2
m
0
_
2
3
_
e

hk
2
m
0
7