Lecture 13: Angular Momentum-I.

The material in this lecture covers the following in Atkins.

Rotational Motion
Section 12.6 Rotation in two dimensions

Lecture on-line
Angular Momentum in 2D (PowerPoint)
Angular Momentum in 2D (PDF format)
Handout for this lecture
Tutorials on-line
Vector concepts
Basic Vectors
More Vectors (PowerPoint)
More Vectors (PDF)
Basic concepts
Observables are Operators - Postulates of Quantum
Mechanics
Expectation Values - More Postulates
Forming Operators
Hermitian Operators
Dirac Notation
Use of Matricies
Basic math background
Differential Equations
Operator Algebra
Eigenvalue Equations
Extensive account of Operators
Audio-visuals on-line
Rigid Rotor (PowerPoint)
(Good account from the Wilson Group,****)
Rigid Rotor (PDF)
(Good account from the Wilson Group,****)
Motion in 1D
Free translation
Confined translation
1D
Harmonic Oscillation
1D
Vibrating diatomic molecule
Motion in 2D
Confined translation
2D
Rotation in 2D
The rigid rotor
Rotating Diatomics Vibrating Diatomics
Quantum Mechanical Rotation in 2D
let us consider a particle of mass m
moving in the xy plane in a circle
of fixed radius a
k
j
i
x
y
z
a

The position of the particle
is given by
r = i x + j y
where
r = r r
v
v
r
r
+ x y a
2 2

With the velocity given by

dr
dt
= i
dx
dt
+ j
dy
dt

v = i v + j v
x y
v
v
r
r
v
r
Position and velocity
of circular motion
Quantum Mechanical Rotation in 2D
k
j
i
x
y
z

r
It is more informative to
work in the spherical
coordinates (r, )

We have
r = i x + j y
r = i rcos + j rsin
The velocity is given by
v = i
drcos
+ j
rsin

r
r r
r
r
v
r
v


dt
d
dt

or
dt
d
dt
since r is constant (r = a)
v = - i rsin
d
+ j rcos
r
v

Position and velocity
of circular motion in
spherical coordinates
Quantum Mechanical Rotation in 2D

We note that
v | = v v
r
v

+

a
d
dt
a
d
dt
2 2 2 2
2
( ) [sin cos ]
( )

k
j
i
x
y
z

r
v

r
r
v
r
v
r = i rcos + j rsin
v = - i rsin
d
+ j rcos

dt
d
dt
also v r v r v r
a
d
dt
a
d
dt
Velocity
x x y y
:
sin cos
sin cos

(v) perpendicular to
position vector (r).
+
+

2
2
0

s
r
Position and velocity
of circular motion in
spherical coordinates
Quantum Mechanical Rotation in 2D

k
j
i
x
y
z

r
v

Let us now evaluate
Angular momentum:
L = r p = m r v
v
r r r r


We have
L = r p = ( i x + j y) ( i p
x
r
r r
r r r r
+ j p
y
)

= i i (x i j (x
j i (y
r r r r
r r r r
v v
v r
v r
+
+ +



p p
p j j yp
kxp kyp
L xp yp k
L m xv yv k
x y
x y
y x
y x
y x
) )
) ( )
( )
( )
Angular momentum
of circular motion
Quantum Mechanical Rotation in 2D

k
j
i
x
y
z

r
v
L

r r
L m xv yv k
or
y x
( )

r
r
v
r
v
r = i rcos + j rsin
v = - i rsin
dr
+ j rcos

dt
d
dt

r
r
L mr
d
dt
mr
d
dt
k
+ [ cos
sin ]
2 2
2 2

r r
r r r
L m r
d
dt
k
L m r v k r p k

2

| | | | | | | |
Angular momentum
of circular motion in
spherical coordinates
Quantum Mechanical Rotation in 2D

k
j
i
x
y
z

r
v
L

r r
L mr
d
dt
k
2

The total energy is E=E
kin
+

E
E
pot
pot

0
| p mr
d
dt

2

E
p
m
m r
d
dt
m
mr
d
dt
mr
kin

j
(
\
,
2
2 2 2
2
2
2
2 2
2
( )
( )

E
L
mr
E
L
I
kin
z
kin
z

2
2
2
2
2

or since I = mr is moment of inertia
2
Total energy of
circular motion
Quantum Mechanical Rotation in 2D...
quantitative derivation
k
j
i
x
y
z

r
x r cos ; y = rsin
The Hamiltonian is again
given by
H= E + E
kin
pot

or since E = 0
pot
Constructing quantum
mechanical Hamiltonian
of circular motion in
Cartesian coordinates

H
m
x y
+ +
,

,
,
]
]
]
]

p
2m
p
2m
x
2
y
2
h
2 2
2
2
2
2

Quantum Mechanical Rotation in 2D...

quantitative derivation
k
j
i
x
y
z

2
2
2
2
2
2 2
2
2
2 2
2 2
2
2
1 1
2
1 1
x y
r
r
H
m r
r
+ + +
+ +
,

,
,
]
]
]
]

r r
r r

( )
( ) ( ) ( ) h

Since does not depend on r,
the first two
derivatives with respect to r can be
neglected and we have

H
m
r

,

,
,
]
]
]
]
h
2
2
2
2
2
1

H = -
2m
2
h d
dx
d
dy
H E
2
2
2
2
+
j
(
,
\
,
(

( ) ( )
Next making use of
spherical coordinates
Constructing quantum
mechanical Hamiltonian
of circular motion in
spherical coordinates
k
j
i
x
y
z

r
Quantum Mechanical Rotation in 2D...
quantitative derivation

or since I = mr
2
:

H
I

,

,
,
]
]
]
]
h
2 2
2
2

Constructing Schrdinger
equation of circular motion
in spherical coordinates

H
m
r

,

,
,
]
]
]
]
h
2
2
2
2
2
1

The Schrdinger
equation is

h
h
2 2
2
2
2 2
2
2
I
E or
IE

2
2
2
2
2
2

m
m
IE
l
l

h

The general solution is

m
l


m
l
m
l
l
N im
where
IE
( ) exp
[ ]

2
h
here m is just
at the moment a real number
l
We must have that
represent the same point in
space


m m
(r, ) ( ,
l l
ce and r
( ) ( )
sin )
+
+
2
2
Quantum Mechanical Rotation in 2D...
quantitative derivation
Solutions to Schrdinger
equation of circular motion
in spherical coordinates
k
j
i
x
y
z

2
2
2
2
2
2

m
m
IE
l
l

h

m
l

=
( )
exp ( )
exp exp
+
+
[ ]
[ ] [ ]
2
1
2
2
1
2
2
im
im im
l
l l
Quantum Mechanical
Rotation

in 2D...
quantitative derivation
=
m
m
1
2
1
2
1
2
2

exp
( )
( )
i
m
m
l
l
l
l
[ ] ( )
( )
Thus for to be
equal to
m
m
m
l

l
l
m
l
or
( )
, ; ; ;....;
( ):
+
( )

2
1 1
0 1 2 3
2
k
j
i
x
y
z

r
The general solution is

m

l m
l
l
N im ( ) exp
[ ]
Solutions to Schrdinger
equation of circular motion
in spherical coordinates
N
m
l

1
2

We have that
m
m
;
m
l
l
l


2
2
0 1 2
2
2
IE
Thus E
I h
h

; ; , ..
Quantum Mechanical
Rotation

in 2D...
quantitative derivation
Negative m values corrspond
to rotation in one direction
positive m values to rotations
in the other direction. For
m values of the same absolute
value but opposite signs the
energies are the same. The two
states are degenerate
l
l
l
Properties of solutions to
Schrdinger equation of circular
motion in spherical coordinates
Quantum Mechanical
Rotation

in 2D...
quantitative derivation
The real parts of the wavefunctions
represents a particle on a ring.

E
I

h
2
2
2
0 1 2
m
;
m
l
l
; ; , ..
Properties of solutions to
Schrdinger equation of circular
motion in spherical coordinates

m
l
l
l l
im
m i m
( ) exp
{cos sin }

[ ]
[ ]
+
[ ]
1
2
1
2
Note that the number of nodes in the real
part of increases with m .
l

m

l
( )
Quantum Mechanical
Rotation

in 2D...
quantitative derivation
L xp yp
z y x
( )
Angular momentum of solutions to
Schrdinger equation of circular
motion in spherical coordinates

or quantum
xp yp
i
x
y
y
x
y x
mechanically
L
L
z
z

j
(
,
\
,
(
s
h
s

or in spherical coordinates
L
z

h
i

We
im
l
l
note that
is an eigenfunction to L
m
z

( ) exp

[ ]
1
2

with eigenvalues
; L m m
z l l
h 0 1 2 ; ; ;....
What you should learn from this lecture

1. The angular momentum a particle with poition r
and momentum p is given as L = r p = m r v .
of
v
r
v
r r r r

2. For a circular motion in the xy - plane the angular momentum
is L (xp yp ) and pointing along the z - axis.
z y x

3
2
2
. For a circular motion the total energy is all kinetic and given by
where I = mr is the moment of inertia
2
E
L
I
kin
z

4. The possible energies for the circular motion of
a particle are with E
I

h
2
2
2
0 1 2
m
m

l
l
; ; , ..
5
1
2
.
( ) exp
The corresponding wavefunctions
are
the real part has m nodes
l

m
l
l
im
where

[ ]
What you should learn from this lecture

6
1
2
. ( ) exp The wavefunctions
also eigenfunctions to L with eigenvalue m
z l

m
l
l
im
are

[ ]
h

7
1
2
2
. ( ) exp
.
Thus represents a system
with energy E =
m
2I
and angular momentum m
m values represent counter clockwise motion
whereas negative values represent clockwise motion
l
2
l
l

m
l
l
im
Positive

[ ]
h
h
Appendix : Quantum Mechanical Rotation in 2D...
ualitative origin of quantization
The angular momentum of a particle of mass m on a circular path
of radius r in the xy-plane is represented by a vector of magnitude
pr perpendicular to the plane.
We
E
L
I
kin
z
have

2
and
L pr
I mr
z

2
and
L pr
I mr
z

+

,

,
]
]
]
[ ]

,

,
]
]
]
+ ( )
( , )
cos sin
x t AExp
i
Et Exp ikx
AExp
i
Et kx kx
h
h

p k h
Consider a free paricle
moving to the right
Its wavefunction is given by
Its momentum is given by
The wavelength is
determined from the condition

+ +
+ ( , ) ( , ) x t x t

AExp
i
Et kx kx
AExp
i
Et k x k x

,
]
]
]
+ ( )

,
]
]
]
+ ( ) + + ( ) ( )
h
h
cos sin
cos sin
k 2
k 2 /

p h h( / ) / 2
de Broglie
Appendix : Quantum Mechanical Rotation in 2D...
qualitative origin of quantization
Consider a particle moving at a ring
Its wavefunction ( ) must satisfy
acceptable
Not acceptable
( ) ( ) + 2
Same physical situation
Appendix : Quantum Mechanical Rotation in 2D...
qualitative origin of quantization

According
h
to QM a particle of momentum p
moves as a wave with wave length =
p

Standing wave must repete itself

thus wavelength must be a integer
fraction of the circumperence

2 r
n
de Broglie
Appendix : Quantum Mechanical Rotation in 2D...
qualitative origin of quantization

Thus
r
m
h
p
2

2 r
m

h
p
We have
Boundary cond.
de Broglie
m 0 1 2 3 , , , ,...
or
p
hm
r

m= 1, 2, 3, 4,...
2
0

,
Appendix : Quantum Mechanical Rotation in 2D...
qualitative origin of quantization
The angular momentum of a particle confined to a
plane can be represented by a vector of length |m
l
|
units along the z-axis and with an orientation that
indicates the direction of motion of the particle. The
direction is given by the right-hand screw rule.

p
hm
r
pr m


2
0

m= 1, 2, 3, 4, ...
L
z
,
h

E
pr
I
h m
I
E
m
I


( )
( )
,
2 2 2
2
2 2
2
0

h
m= 1, 2, 3, 4, ...
Appendix : Quantum Mechanical Rotation in 2D...
qualitative origin of quantization
Vibrational spectroscopy
E

1
2
h

3
2
h

5
2
h

7
2
h

x

9
2
h

11
2
h

v 0
v 1
v 2
v 3
v 4
v 5
v 6

E v + h( )
1
2
A vibrating diatomic
molecule AB
Has the vibrational energy levels

k

+
m m
m m
A B
A B
A photon of energy h
will be absorbed if

h h
/ 2
Vibrational spectroscopy
Molecules in general absorbs photons
of specific frequencies (fingerprints)