Uncertainty and Operators

Due date: November 09, 2010, 5:30 pm

Problem Set 3: Uncertainty and Operators

1. Ground State or Minimum Energy due to Quantum Uncertainties The wave nature of particles causes uncertainties in simultanous knowledge of position and momentum of a particle. (This uncertainty is sometimes thought of as uctuations in the variables of position and momentum, as we fail to prepare the states which have a precise values for these variables. Making many such systems, each one shows some uctuations around the central value we tried to create.) This uncertainty causes many systems to have some lowest amount of energy above zero, at least if thought of as a typical value of energy measured, due to uctuations above the minimum possible classical value. This is what we did for harmonic oscillators in class. Consider the following systems and obtain the minimum possible ground state energy in each case a)A particle conned in a one dimensional box of length L. The particle can only be within this length and not outside it. What is the minimum energy b) An electron around a positively charge nucleus. The potential energy is given by

U (r) = k

e2 r

Just consider this problem in radial direction as energy only depends on the radial motion. (Motion in the direction towards or away from nucleus). Assume the Uncertainty principle between momentum and r. And estimate the minimum energy the electron can have. Notice that, classically the minimum is achieved when electron is sitting on the nucleus and that causes the catastrophe. What is the minimum energy now? What is the uncertainty in r corresponding to this energy? Compare the minimum energy with Bohrs ground state energy and the uncertainty in r with Bohrs radius of Hydrogen atom. 2. Uncertainty Again This is again a top of the head kind of application of uncertainty. Consider an electron which is known to be moving with energy equal to 50eV . It is detected by some gentle observation so that its speed is disturbed by the minimum possible amount. Its position is found within an uncertainty of 2Ao to be 2m with respect to some origin. Classically, what would be the Due date: November 09, 2010, 5:30 pm 1

Uncertainty and Operators

Due date: November 09, 2010, 5:30 pm

possible positions of this electron after 1 minute? What would be the possible positions of this electron after 1 minute, taking Heisenbergs uncertainty into account? 3. Normalization and Probabilities Do problem 2 from chapter 6 of Serway and Moses. 4. Averages and Operators Consider the following wavefunction

(x) = Axex a) Find out the normalization constant A

b) Find out the average position and the uncertainty (standard deviation) in position c) Find the average momentum by using operator for the momentum. d) Find the uncertainty in momentum ( again standard deviation) e) What is the product of the two uncertainties? Does it fulll the Heisenbergs uncertainty relation? f) Now suppose this wavefunction is describing a particle in harmonic potential, where energy is given by

H=

p2 1 + mwx2 2m 2

. Find the value of for which this wavefunction becomes and eigen function of Energy. What is the value of this energy? g) Can this wavefunction be an eigen function of momentum for any value of ? Explain when or why not? Useful formulae for this problem

dxx2 ex =
2

1/2 23/2 3 1/2 45/2

dxx4 ex =
2

Due date: November 09, 2010, 5:30 pm