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The hydrodynamical formulation of quantum mechanics and the two-dimensional parabolic potential barrier

Toshiki Shimbori

Published Jan 1, 2002• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

THE dissertation deals with the two-dimensional isotropic parabolic potential barrier as a solvable model of a two-dimensional unstable system in non-relativistic quantum mechanics. The time-independent Schrodinger equation for this model is set up as the eigenvalue problem in Gel'fand triplet and its exact solutions are expressed by generalized eigen-functions belonging to complex energy eigenvalues. There are stationary states with a real energy eigenvalues. There are statinary states with a real energy eigenvalue involved in those solutions, and they are infinitely degenerate. A physical picture of the generalized eigenstates of the unstable system is obtained from the hydrodynamical point of view. For the first few stationary states of the two-dimensional parabolic potential barrier, the complex velocity potentials in the hydrodynamical formulation of quantum mechanics express the two-dimensional irrotational flows round a right angle. We find that this result can be deduced from the general connection between complex velocity potentials and singular potentials in two-dimensional quantum systems.

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Stationary flows of the parabolic potential barrier in two dimensions

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In the two-dimensional isotropic parabolic potential barrier V ( x , y ) = V 0 - m γ 2 ( x 2 + y 2 )/2, though it is a model of an unstable system in quantum mechanics, we can obtain the stationary states corresponding to the real energy eigenvalue V 0 . Further, they are infinitely degenerate. For the first few eigenstates, we will find the stationary flows round a right angle that are expressed by the complex velocity potentials W = ±γ z 2 /2. From the hydrodynamical point of view vortex structures for the general solutions are also studied.

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Quantum mechanical streamlines. I. Square potential barrier

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Exact numerical calculations are made for the scattering of quantum mechanical particles from a square two-dimensional potential barrier. This treatment is an exact analog of both frustrated total reflection of perpendicularly polarized light and the longitudinal Goos-Hänchen shift. Quantum mechanical streamlines (which are analogous to either classical mechanical trajectories or optical rays) are plotted. These streamlines are smooth, continuous, and have continuous first derivatives even through the classically forbidden region. The streamlines form quantized vortices surrounding each of the nodal points (which result from interference between the incident and reflected waves). Similar vortices occur in reactive collisions of H + H2 (McCullough and Wyatt; Kuppermann, Adams, and Truhlar) and undoubtedly play an important role in molecular collision dynamics. The theory for these vortices is given in a companion paper. A comparison is given between our numerical calculations and the stationary phase approximation (SPA). Although our incident wave packet has a half-width of more than one de Broglie wavelength in contrast to the SPA which replaces the diffuse beams by rays with delta function profiles, the agreement was surprisingly good for both the Goos-Hänchen shifts and for the reflection coefficients. However, we found that the Goos-Hänchen shift for the transmitted beam is significantly smaller than for the reflected beam, although in the stationary phase approximation these two shifts are equal. Furthermore, we found that the scattering from the potential barrier has very little effect on the shape of the wave packets. The power series expansion of the incident Debye-Picht wave packet ψI has an extremely small radius of convergence, whereas the power series for ψI*ψI has a radius of convergence of more than two de Broglie wavelengths. The imaginary velocity viis introduced into the Madelung-Landau-London hydrodynamical formulation of quantum mechanics. The corresponding imaginary streamlines will be considered in a forthcoming paper. The time-independent Schrödinger equation for real wavefunctions is reduced to solving the nonlinear first order partial differential equation: ℏ▿·vi = 2(E − V) + vi2. Here, vi is irrotational. This equation may lead to interesting new methods of solving the Schrödinger equation. It does lead to a generalization of the Prager-Hirschfelder perturbation scheme which invokes an electrostatic analogy. The philosophical implications of the hydrodynamical formulation of quantum mechanics are discussed. Penetration of a one-dimensional square potential barrier is used to demonstrate exactly how tunneling occurs by particles ``riding over the barrier'' à la Bohm. Cases are cited where quantum and classical mechanical motions are identical.

The Journal of Chemical Physics•Dec 15, 1974•196 citations
THE dissertation deals with the two-dimensional isotropic parabolic potential barrier as a solvable model of a two-dimensional unstable system in non-relativistic quantum mechanics. The time-independent Schrodinger equation for this model is set up as the eigenvalue problem in Gel'fand triplet and its exact solutions are expressed by generalized eigen-functions belonging to complex energy eigenvalues. There are stationary states with a real energy eigenvalues. There are statinary states with a real energy eigenvalue involved in those solutions, and they are infinitely degenerate. A physical picture of the generalized eigenstates of the unstable system is obtained from the hydrodynamical point of view. For the first few stationary states of the two-dimensional parabolic potential barrier, the complex velocity potentials in the hydrodynamical formulation of quantum mechanics express the two-dimensional irrotational flows round a right angle. We find that this result can be deduced from the general connection between complex velocity potentials and singular potentials in two-dimensional quantum systems.
In the two-dimensional isotropic parabolic potential barrier V ( x , y ) = V 0 - m γ 2 ( x 2 + y 2 )/2, though it is a model of an unstable system in quantum mechanics, we can obtain the stationary states corresponding to the real energy eigenvalue V 0 . Further, they are infinitely degenerate. For the first few eigenstates, we will find the stationary flows round a right angle that are expressed by the complex velocity potentials W = ±γ z 2 /2. From the hydrodynamical point of view vortex structures for the general solutions are also studied.
The paper deals with the one-dimensional parabolic potential barrier V(x)=V0−mγ2x2/2V(x)={V_0-mγ^2 x^2/2}V(x)=V0​−mγ2x2/2, as a model of an unstable system in quantum mechanics. The time-independent Schrödinger equation for this model is set up as the eigenvalue problem in Gel'fand triplet and its exact solutions are expressed by generalized eigenfunctions belonging to complex energy eigenvalues ${V_0\mp i\Gammav_n}$ whose imaginary parts are quantized as ${\Gammav_n=(n+1/2)\hslashγ}$. Under the assumption that time factors of an unstable system are square integrable, we provide a probabilistic interpretation of them. This assumption leads to the separation of the domain of the time evolution, namely all the time factors belonging to the complex energy eigenvalues ${V_0-i\Gammav_n}$ exist on the future part and all those belonging to the complex energy eigenvalues ${V_0+i\Gammav_n}$ exist on the past part. In this model the physical energy distributions worked out from these time factors are found to be the Breit-Wigner resonance formulas. The half-widths of these physical energy distributions are determined by the imaginary parts of complex energy eigenvalues, and hence they are also quantized.
The present paper deals with some kind of quantum ``velocity'' which is introduced by the method of hydrodynamical analogy. It is found that this ``velocity'' is in general irrotational, namely, a vorticity vanishes, and then a velocity potential must exist in quantum mechanics. In some elementary examples of stable systems we will see what the ``velocities'' are. In particular, the two-dimensional flows of these examples can be expressed by complex velocity potentials whose real and imaginary parts are the velocity potentials and stream functions, respectively.
Statistical mechanics for states with complex eigenvalues, which are described by Gel'fand triplet and represent unstable states like resonances, are discussed on the basis of principle of equal apriori{\it a priori}apriori probability. A new entropy corresponding to the freedom for the imaginary eigenvalues appears in the theory. In equilibriums it induces a new physical observable which can be identified as a common time scale. It is remarkable that in spaces with more than 2 dimensions we find out existence of stable and quasi-stable systems, even though all constituents are unstable. In such systems all constituents are connected by stationary flows which are generally observable and then we can say that they are semiclassical systems. Examples for such semiclassical systems are constructed in parabolic potential barriers. The flexible structure of the systems is also pointed out.
Time-dependent processes accompanied by vortex creations and annihilations are investigated in terms of the eigenstates in conjugate spaces of Gel'fand triplets in 2-dimensions. Creations and annihilations of vortices are described by the insertions of unstable eigenstates with complex-energy eigenvalues into stable states written by the superposition of eigenstates with zero-energy eigenvalues. Some concrete examples are presented in terms of the eigenfunctions of the 2-dimensional parabolic potential barrier, i.e., −mγ2(x2+y2)/2-m γ^2 (x^2+y^2)/2−mγ2(x2+y2)/2. We show that the processes accompanied by vortex creations and annihilations can be analyzed in terms of the eigenfunctions in the conjugate spaces of Gel'fand triplets. Throughout these examinations we point out three interesting properties of the zero-energy flows. (i) Mechanisms using the zero-energy flows are absolutely economical from the viewpoint of energy consumption. (ii) An enormous amount of informations can be discriminated in terms of the infinite variety of the zero-energy flows. (iii) The zero-energy flow patterns are absolutely stable in any disturbance by inserting arbitrary decaying flows with complex-energy eigenvalues.
Exact numerical calculations are made for the scattering of quantum mechanical particles from a square two-dimensional potential barrier. This treatment is an exact analog of both frustrated total reflection of perpendicularly polarized light and the longitudinal Goos-Hänchen shift. Quantum mechanical streamlines (which are analogous to either classical mechanical trajectories or optical rays) are plotted. These streamlines are smooth, continuous, and have continuous first derivatives even through the classically forbidden region. The streamlines form quantized vortices surrounding each of the nodal points (which result from interference between the incident and reflected waves). Similar vortices occur in reactive collisions of H + H2 (McCullough and Wyatt; Kuppermann, Adams, and Truhlar) and undoubtedly play an important role in molecular collision dynamics. The theory for these vortices is given in a companion paper. A comparison is given between our numerical calculations and the stationary phase approximation (SPA). Although our incident wave packet has a half-width of more than one de Broglie wavelength in contrast to the SPA which replaces the diffuse beams by rays with delta function profiles, the agreement was surprisingly good for both the Goos-Hänchen shifts and for the reflection coefficients. However, we found that the Goos-Hänchen shift for the transmitted beam is significantly smaller than for the reflected beam, although in the stationary phase approximation these two shifts are equal. Furthermore, we found that the scattering from the potential barrier has very little effect on the shape of the wave packets. The power series expansion of the incident Debye-Picht wave packet ψI has an extremely small radius of convergence, whereas the power series for ψI*ψI has a radius of convergence of more than two de Broglie wavelengths. The imaginary velocity viis introduced into the Madelung-Landau-London hydrodynamical formulation of quantum mechanics. The corresponding imaginary streamlines will be considered in a forthcoming paper. The time-independent Schrödinger equation for real wavefunctions is reduced to solving the nonlinear first order partial differential equation: ℏ▿·vi = 2(E − V) + vi2. Here, vi is irrotational. This equation may lead to interesting new methods of solving the Schrödinger equation. It does lead to a generalization of the Prager-Hirschfelder perturbation scheme which invokes an electrostatic analogy. The philosophical implications of the hydrodynamical formulation of quantum mechanics are discussed. Penetration of a one-dimensional square potential barrier is used to demonstrate exactly how tunneling occurs by particles ``riding over the barrier'' à la Bohm. Cases are cited where quantum and classical mechanical motions are identical.