UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

MSci/BSc EXAMINATION 2007

For Internal Students of Royal Holloway

DO NOT TURN OVER UNTIL TOLD TO BEGIN

PH3220A: APPLICATIONS OF QUANTUM THEORY Time Allowed: TWO hours Answer THREE questions only. No credit will be given for attempting any further questions.

Approximate part-marks for questions are given in the right-hand margin

Only CASIO fx85WA Calculators or CASIO fx85MS Calculators are permitted

PH3220A/42
Royal Holloway and Bedford New College 2007
2006-07

GENERAL PHYSICAL CONSTANTS

Permeability of vacuum Permittivity of vacuum

0 0
1/40

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

4 10-7 8.85 10-12 9.0 109 3.00 108 1.60 10-19 9.11 10-31 1.66 10-27 1.67 10-27 1.67 10-27 1.76 1011 6.63 10-34 1.05 10-34 1.38 10-23 5.67 10-8 8.31 6.02 1023 6.67 10-11 9.81 2.24 10-2 1.01 105

H m-1 F m-1 m F-1 m s-1 C kg kg kg kg C kg-1 Js Js J K-1 W m-2 K-4 J mol-1 K-1 mol-1 N m2 kg-2 m s-2 m3 N m-2

Speed of light in vacuum Elementary charge Electron (rest) mass Unified atomic mass constant Proton rest mass Neutron rest mass Ratio of electronic charge to mass Planck constant

c e me mu mp mn e/me h = h/2

Boltzmann constant Stefan-Boltzmann constant Gas constant Avogadro constant Gravitational constant Acceleration due to gravity Volume of one mole of an ideal gas at STP One standard atmosphere

R NA G g

P0

MATHEMATICAL CONSTANTS e 2.718 3.142 loge10 2.303

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PH3220A
PART MARKS

1.

The deuteron is the simplest nucleus consisting of a neutron and a proton bound together by the strong nuclear force. Discuss the condition under which the Schrdinger equation d 2U (r ) M + 2 ( E V (r ) ) U (r ) = 0 dr 2 gives a description of the deuteron. Show that the Hulthn wavefunction U ( r ) = (1 e r ) e kr , where and k are constants, is an eigenfunction of the Schrdinger equation for the deuteron such that for V(r) to be consistent with the long range properties 2 ( k ) of the nuclear force the energy eigenvalue E = . M Hence find V(r) in terms of and k and deduce that the Hulthn form of the nuclear potential is
2 2 ( 2 k + ) . M ( exp( r ) 1)

[5]

[10]

[5]

2.

(a)

Give the arguments due to Born and Oppenheimer which permit an equation of the form

d 2 G 2 l (l + 1) + 2 ( E V (r )) G=0 2 dR R2
to describe the energy states of a diatomic molecule and explain carefully the physical significance of each term in this equation. [8]

(b)

Express V(r) in terms of the dissociation energy of the molecule and by making a suitable approximation, with appropriate justification, find an expression for the energy eigenvalues. Explain the origin of each term in [12] this expression.

TURN OVER

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PH3220A
PART MARKS

3.

A quantum system in a non-degenerate eigenstate k, with eigrenvalue Ek of the Hamiltonian Ho, is acted on by an additional small potential H . Show, using first order time independent perturbation theory that the eigenvalue correction is k = <k | H |k > and that the eigenfunction correction is

k =

< n | H | k > n . Ek En nk

[12]

Let Ho be the usual Hamiltonian for the hydrogen atom and let H be the 1 1 dV spin-orbit interaction term H = L .S where the symbols 2m 2 c 2 r dr have their usual meanings. Derive an expression for the first order perturbation to an arbitrary energy eigenvalue of the hydrogen atom in terms of the various quantum 1 dV numbers of the state and the expectation value of in this energy r dr eigenstate. Hence, prove that the energy eigenvalue correction, , is given by

1 1 dV j ( j + 1) l (l + 1) 3 / 4] 2 2 2 [ 4m c r dr e2

.
n ,l

[6]

Simplify your result using the fact that V (r ) =

, and that for the 4 0 r hydrogen atom state with principal quantum number n and orbital angular momentum number l,

1 = r3

1 1 3 3 a0 n l (l + 1)(l + ) 2
[2]

where the symbols have their usual meanings.

TURN OVER

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PH3220A
PART MARKS

4. (a) (b) (c)

Write explanatory notes on two of the following The origin of Landau Levels in a solid. Band structure in crystals. The Aharonov-Bohm effect. [10] [10] [10]

5.

The radial Schrdinger equation corresponding to the energy E of a hydrogen atom is

1 d 2 d 2 l (l + 1) Rn.l (r ) = 0 . 2 r + 2 E V (r ) 2 r 2 r dr dr
Explain the meaning of , V(r), l and n and state what they are in the case [3] of hydrogen in its ground state. (a) Show that R20 (r ) = A[1 (r / 2a )]exp(r / 2a ) , A and a being constants, is an energy eigenfunction for a hydrogen atom in a 2s-state, and find the [8] eigenvalue. A hydrogen atom in the 1s and 2p states has radial wavefunctions R10(r) = N exp (-r/a) and R21 = M r exp(-r/2a) . Normalizing each radial wavefunction to unity, show that N = 2(a) and find the value of M.
3/2

(b)

[5]

The Lyman transition 2p to 1s is allowed by the selection rules and the radial contribution to the dipole transition amplitude is
T = R10 rR21 r 2 dr . 0

Find T for the given normalized radial wavefunctions. What is the selection rule that forbids the Lyman transition from the [4] hydrogen atom state in part (a)?

n n! r exp(kr )dr = n +1 k 0

TURN OVER

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PH3220A
PART MARKS

6.

Describe, without giving a derivation, the variational method for estimating the ground state energy of a system. What advantage and what disadvantage does this method have compared to the perturbation method? For the hydrogen atom the Hamiltonian is H = usual meaning.
3 By taking the normalized trial wave function = e r use the variational method to obtain an expression for the ground state energy as a function of the parameter . You may assume that for the above trial wave function,
1/ 2

[3] [2]

2 2 e2 2m 4 0 r

where the symbols have their

| 2 | = 2 and | r 1 | = .
Hence obtain an upper bound for the ground state energy of the hydrogen atom. Write down a suitable trial wave function for the estimation of the ground state energy of the helium atom, and briefly justify your choice.

[6]

[6] [3]

END