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American Journal of Physics

Solution of a One-Dimensional Three-Body Problem in Classical Mechanics

Dinkar C. Khandekar, S. V. Lawande

Published Mar 1, 1972• 14 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A one-dimensional problem of three equal particles interacting pairwise via a potential that is the sum of a quadratic and an inversely quadratic term is discussed from the point of view of classical mechanics. It is shown that the quantum energy spectrum can be obtained from the classical theory of action-angle variables and Bohr-Sommerfeld rules.

DOI
10.1119/1.1986573

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A one-dimensional problem of three equal particles interacting pairwise via a potential that is the sum of a quadratic and an inversely quadratic term is discussed from the point of view of classical mechanics. It is shown that the quantum energy spectrum can be obtained from the classical theory of action-angle variables and Bohr-Sommerfeld rules.
The quantum-mechanical problems of N 1-dimensional equal particles of mass m interacting pairwise via quadratic (``harmonical'') and/or inversely quadratic (``centrifugal'') potentials is solved. In the first case, characterized by the pair potential ¼mω2(xi − xj)2 + g(xi − xj)−2, g > −ℏ2/(4m), the complete energy spectrum (in the center-of-mass frame) is given by the formula E=ℏω(12N)12[12(N−1)+12N(N−1)(a+12)+ ∑ l=2Nlnl],with a = ½(1 + 4mgℏ−2)½. The N − 1 quantum numbers nl are nonnegative integers; each set {nl; l = 2, 3, ⋯, N} characterizes uniquely one eigenstate. This energy spectrum can also be written in the form Es = ℏω(½N)½ [½(N − 1) + ½N(N − 1)(a + ½) + s], s = 0, 2, 3, 4, ⋯, the multiplicity of the sth level being then given by the number of different sets of N − 1 nonnegative integers nl that are consistent with the condition s=∑l=2Nlnl. These equations are valid independently of the statistics that the particles satisfy, if g ≠ 0; for g = 0, the equations remain valid with a = ½ for Fermi statistics, a = −½ for Bose statistics. The eigenfunctions corresponding to these energy levels are not obtained explicitly, but they are rather fully characterized. A more general model is similarly solved, in which the N particles are divided in families, with the same quadratic interaction acting between all pairs, but with the inversely quadratic interaction acting only between particles belonging to the same family, with a strength that may be different for different families. The second model, characterized by the pair potential g(xi − xj)−2, g > −ℏ2/(4m), contains only scattering states. It is proved that an initial scattering configuration, characterized (in the phase space sector defined by the inequalities xi ≥ xi.1, i = 1, 2, ⋯, N = 1, to which attention may be restricted without loss of generality) by (initial) momenta pi, i = 1, 2, ⋯, N, goes over into a final configuration characterized uniquely by the (final) momenta pi′, with pi′=pN+1−i. This remarkably simple outcome is a peculiarity of the case with equal particles (i.e., equal masses and equal strengths of all pair potentials).
The exact solution is presented of the scattering problem of three equal particles interacting in one-dimension via two- and/or three-body inverse-square potentials. Both the classical and the quantal problems are treated. It is shown that the outcome of this scattering problem is an extremely simple relation between initial and final momenta, the latter being univocally determined by the former even in the quantal case. The solvability of the problem, and the simple results just mentioned, are peculiar to the equal particle case.
Complete energy spectrum is obtained for the quantum mechanical problem of N one dimensional equal mass particles interacting via potential V(x1,x2,...,xN)=g∑i<jN1(xi−xj)2−α∑i<j(xi−xj)2V(x_1,x_2,...,x_N) = g\sum^N_{i < j}{1\over (x_i-x_j)^2} - {α\over \sqrt{\sum_{i < j} (x_i-x_j)^2}}V(x1​,x2​,...,xN​)=g∑i<jN​(xi​−xj​)21​−∑i<j​(xi​−xj​)2​α​ Further, it is shown that scattering configuration, characterized by initial momenta pi(i=1,2,...,N)p_i (i=1,2,...,N)pi​(i=1,2,...,N) goes over into a final configuration characterized uniquely by the final momenta pi′p'_ipi′​ with pi′=pN+1−ip'_i=p_{N+1-i}pi′​=pN+1−i​.