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Matter Waves and Orbital Quantum Numbers

Roger Ellman

Published Jul 1, 2008• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

The atom's orbital electron structure in terms of quantum numbers (principal, azimuthal, magnetic and spin) results in there being space for a maximum of: 2 electrons in the n=1 orbit, 8 electrons in the n=2 orbit, 18 electrons in the n=3 orbit, and so on. Those dispositions are correct; but that is not because of quantum numbers nor angular momentum nor a "Pauli exclusion principle". That orbital electron arrangement is enforced by the requirement of accommodating the space that each orbiting electron's matter wave occupies.

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PREFACE PART I: THE STRUCTURE OF MATTER 1. THE MICROSCOPIC WORLD: ATOMS AND MOLECULES 1.1 Development of the Atomic Theory: Relative Atomic Weights 1.2 Atomic Magnitudes 1.3 The Charge-to-Mass Ratio of the Electron: Thomson's Method 1.4 The Charge of the Electron: Millikan's Method 1.5 Mass Spectrometry 1.6 The Atomic Mass Scale and the Mole 1.7 The Periodic Table 2. ORIGINS OF THE QUANTUM THEORY OF MATTER 2.1 The Franck-Hertz Experiment 2.2 The Photoelectric Effect 2.3 X-rays and Matter 2.4 The Emission Spectra of Atoms 2.5 The Nuclear Atom 2.6 The Problem of Black-Body Radiation 2.7 The Concept of Action 2.8 The Harmonic Oscillator 2.9 Action Quantized: The Heat Capacity of Solids 2.10 Some Orders of Magnitude 2.11 Bohr's Model of the Atom Appendix 2A: Rutherford Scattering 3. MATTER WAVES IN SIMPLE SYSTEMS 3.1 The de Broglie Hypothesis 3.2 The Nature of Waves 3.3 Dispersion Relations and Wave Equations: The Free Particle 3.4 Operators 3.5 Eigenfunctions and Eigenvalues 3.6 The Particle in a One-Dimensional Box 3.7 The Indeterminacy or Uncertainty Principle 3.8 Expectation Values Summary of Postulates 3.9 Particles in Two- and Three-Dimensional Boxes 3.10 Particles in Circular Boxes 3.11 Particles in Spherical Boxes 3.12 The Rigid Rotor Appendix 3A: More on Circular Coordinates and the Circular Box 4. PARTICLES IN VARYING POTENTIAL FIELDS TRANSITIONS 4.1 Finite Potential Barriers 4.2 The Quantum Mechanical Harmonic Oscillator 4.3 The Hydrogen Atom 4.4 The Shapes of Orbitals 4.5 Transitions between Energy Levels 5. THE STRUCTURE OF ATOMS 5.1 Electron Spin Magnetic Phenomena 5.2 The Pauli Exclusion Principle the Aufbau Principle 5.3 Electronic Configurations of Atoms 5.4 Calculation of Atomic Structures 5.5 Atomic Structure and Periodic Behavior 5.6 Term Splitting and the Vector Model 5.7 Fine Structure and Spin-Orbit Interactions Appendix 5A: The Stern-Gerlach Experiment 6. THE CHEMICAL BOND IN THE SIMPLEST MOLECULES: H[2+ AND H[2 6.1 Bonding Forces between Atoms 6.2 The Simplest Molecule: The Hydrogen Molecule-Ion, H[2+ 6.3 H[2+: Molecular Orbitals and the LCAO Approximation 6.4 H[2+: Obtaining the Energy Curve 6.5 H[2+: Correlation of Orbitals Excited States 6.6 The H[2 Molecule: Simple MO Description 6.7 Symmetry Properties of Identical Particles 6.8 H[2: The Valence Bond Representation 6.9 H[2: Beyond the Simple MO and VB Approximations 6.10 H[2: Excited Electronic States Appendix 6A: Orthogonality Appendix 6B: Hermitian Operators 7. MORE ABOUT DIATOMIC MOLECULES 7.1 Vibrations of Diatomic Molecules 7.2 Rotations of Diatomic Molecules 7.3 Spectra of Diatomic Molecules 7.4 The Ionic Bond 7.5 Homonuclear Diatomic Molecules: Molecular Orbitals and Orbital Correlation 7.6 Homonuclear Diatomic Molecules: Aufbau Principle and Structure of First-Row Molecules 7.7 Introduction to Heteronuclear Diatomic Molecules: Electronegativity 7.8 Bonding in LiH: Crossing and Noncrossing Potential Curves 7.9 Other First-Row Diatomic Hydrides 7.10 Isoelectronic and Other Series Appendix 7A: Perturbation Theory 8. TRIATOMIC MOLECULES 8.1 Electronic Structure and Geometry in the Simplest Cases: H[3 and H[3+ 8.2 Dihydrides: Introduction to the Water Molecule 8.3 Hybrid Orbitals 8.4 Delocalized Orbitals in H[2O: The General MO Method 8.5 Bonding in More Complex Triatomic Molecules 8.6 Normal Coordinates and Modes of Vibration 8.7 A Solvable Example: The Vibrational Modes of CO[2 8.8 Transitions and Spectra of Polyatomic Molecules: Rotations and Vibrations 8.9 Transitions and Spectra of Polyatomic Molecules: Magnetic Transitions 8.10 Transitions and Spectra of Polyatomic Molecules: Electronic Transitions 9. LARGER POLYATOMIC MOLECULES 9.1 Small Molecules 9.2 Catenated Carbon Compounds Transferability 9.3 Other Extended Structures 9.4 Some Steric Effects 9.5 Complex Ions and Other Coordination Compounds: Simple Polyhedra 9.6 Chirality and Optical Rotation 9.7 Chiral and Other Complex Ions 9.8 Magnetic Properties of Complexes 9.9 Electronic Structure of Complexes Appendix 9A: Schmidt Orthogonalization 10. INTERMOLECULAR FORCES 10.1 Long-Range Forces: Interactions between Charge Distributions 10.2 Empirical Intermolecular Potentials 10.3 Weakly Associated Molecules 11. THE STRUCTURE OF SOLIDS 11.1 Some General Properties of Solids 11.2 Space Lattices and Crystal Symmetry 11.3 X-ray Diffraction from Crystals: The Bragg Model 11.4 The Laue Model 11.5 Determination of Crystal Structures 11.6 Techniques of Diffraction 11.7 Molecular Crystals 11.8 Structures of Ionic Crystals 11.9 Binding Energy of Ionic Crystals 11.10 Covalent Solids 11.11 The Free-Electron Theory of Metals 11.12 The Band Theory of Solids 11.13 Conductors, Insulators, and Semiconductors 11.14 Other Forms of Condensed Matter APPENDICES I. Systems of Units II. Partial Derivatives III. Glossary of Symbols IV. Searching the Scientific Literature INDEX

Oxford University Press eBooks•Jan 1, 2002•5 citations
The atom's orbital electron structure in terms of quantum numbers (principal, azimuthal, magnetic and spin) results in there being space for a maximum of: 2 electrons in the n=1 orbit, 8 electrons in the n=2 orbit, 18 electrons in the n=3 orbit, and so on. Those dispositions are correct; but that is not because of quantum numbers nor angular momentum nor a "Pauli exclusion principle". That orbital electron arrangement is enforced by the requirement of accommodating the space that each orbiting electron's matter wave occupies.
It is analytically shown that the orbital electron arrangement is enforced by the necessity of accommodating the space that each orbiting electron's matter wave occupies. The atom's orbital electron structure in terms of quantum numbers (principal, azimuthal, magnetic and spin) results in space for a maximum of: 2 electrons in the n=1 orbit, 8 electrons in the n=2 orbit, 18 electrons in the n=3 orbit, and so on. Those dispositions are correct, but that is not because of quantum numbers nor angular momentum nor a "Pauli exclusion principle". Matter waves were discovered in the early 20th century from their wavelength, which was predicted by DeBroglie to be, Planck's constant divided by the particle's momentum, λ\lambdaλmw = h/m . v . But, the failure to obtain a reasonable theory for the matter wave frequency resulted in loss of interest. That problem is resolved in "A Reconsideration of Matter Waves" 2 in which a reinterpretation of Einstein's derivation of relativistic kinetic energy [which produced his famous E = m . c2] leads to a valid matter wave frequency and a new understanding of particle kinetics and the atom's stable orbits. It is analytically shown that the orbital electron arrangement is enforced by the necessity of accommodating the space that each orbiting electron's matter wave occupies.
The atom's orbital electron structure in terms of quantum numbers (principal, azimuthal, magnetic and spin) results in space for a maximum of: 2 electrons in the n=1 orbit, 8 electrons in the n=2 orbit, 18 electrons in the n=3 orbit, and so on. Those dispositions are correct, but that is not because of quantum numbers nor angular momentum nor a "Pauli exclusion principle". Matter waves were discovered in the early 20th century from their wavelength, which was predicted by DeBroglie to be, Planck's constant divided by the particle's momentum. But, the failure to obtain a reasonable theory for the matter wave frequency resulted in loss of interest. That problem is resolved in "A Reconsideration of Matter Waves" in which a reinterpretation of Einstein's derivation of relativistic kinetic energy [which produced his famous E = mc^2] leads to a valid matter wave frequency and a new understanding of particle kinetics and the atom's stable orbits. It is analytically shown that the orbital electron arrangement is enforced by the necessity of accommodating the space that each orbiting electron's matter wave occupies.
The vector model is examined in the light of the quantum theory of wave fields. First the distributions of electrons among the electronic states are limited to correspond to the atomic states arising from one electronic configuration. A set of independent angular momentum vectors 11{1}_{1}11​, 12{1}_{2}12​,...S1{\mathrm{S}}_{1}S1​, S2{\mathrm{S}}_{2}S2​... is found, in which one orbital and one spin vector are associated with each group of electronic states, rather than individual electrons, having given values of the quantum numbers nnn and lll. Any other vector T may be decomposed into a sum of independent vectors ti{\mathrm{t}}_{i}ti​, one associated with each of the same group of electronic states. The usual commutation relations obtain among the vectors ti{\mathrm{t}}_{i}ti​, li{\mathrm{l}}_{i}li​ and si{\mathrm{s}}_{i}si​. On further limiting the distributions to correspond to atomic states arising from electronic configurations containing no equivalent electrons, it is shown that the matrix of ${\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{k}f({{\mathrm{l}}_{k}}^{0}, {{\mathrm{s}}_{k}}^{0})$ (an operator in coordinate space in which fff is any algebraic function of the components of 1 and s) can be constructed from the vectors 11{1}_{1}11​, 12{1}_{2}12​...S1{\mathrm{S}}_{1}S1​, S2{\mathrm{S}}_{2}S2​,... according to the usual laws of matrix mechanics.
The Pauli exclusion principle is a key postulate of the quantum theory and informs much of what we know about matter. In terms of electronic structure, the lone, deceptively simple mathematical requirement is that the total wave function be antisymmetric with respect to the exchange of any two electrons. However, visualizing the effect on the electron distribution presents a formidable challenge to students because of the complexity and number of variables involved. Approaches to gaining insight developed here include a quantitative analysis of two-dimensional configuration spaces as well as a qualitative assessment of interference patterns. For 2p x 1 2p y 1 states as representative examples, the analysis reveals that the Pauli principle directs electrons with opposing spins to codistribute along axes passing through the nucleus in the plane of the occupied orbitals. On the other hand, electrons with the same spin are never simultaneously in the same place or on the same axis; instead, they preferentially distribute in perpendicular directions.
In the 1920s, the old quantum theory was gradually being superseded by the new quantum theory. The cornerstone of the old theory was Bohr’s model of the hydrogen atom which predicted that an electron cannot orbit the proton in the hydrogen atom in any arbitrary fashion. Orbits are “quantized”, meaning that only certain sizes, shapes and magnetic properties are allowed. The principal quantum number n determined the allowed radii of the orbits, the orbital quantum number l determined the allowed shapes, and the magnetic quantum number m determined the magnetic behavior. Additionally, there is a fourth quantum number s which denotes the fact that the electron has an additional angular momentum, loosely associated with self rotation about its own axis, and that is quantized in units of (1/2). The old quantum theory was useful to infer the existence of discrete energy levels in atoms, calculate energy spacings between these levels, and therefore allowed one to interpret atomic spectra.
PREFACE PART I: THE STRUCTURE OF MATTER 1. THE MICROSCOPIC WORLD: ATOMS AND MOLECULES 1.1 Development of the Atomic Theory: Relative Atomic Weights 1.2 Atomic Magnitudes 1.3 The Charge-to-Mass Ratio of the Electron: Thomson's Method 1.4 The Charge of the Electron: Millikan's Method 1.5 Mass Spectrometry 1.6 The Atomic Mass Scale and the Mole 1.7 The Periodic Table 2. ORIGINS OF THE QUANTUM THEORY OF MATTER 2.1 The Franck-Hertz Experiment 2.2 The Photoelectric Effect 2.3 X-rays and Matter 2.4 The Emission Spectra of Atoms 2.5 The Nuclear Atom 2.6 The Problem of Black-Body Radiation 2.7 The Concept of Action 2.8 The Harmonic Oscillator 2.9 Action Quantized: The Heat Capacity of Solids 2.10 Some Orders of Magnitude 2.11 Bohr's Model of the Atom Appendix 2A: Rutherford Scattering 3. MATTER WAVES IN SIMPLE SYSTEMS 3.1 The de Broglie Hypothesis 3.2 The Nature of Waves 3.3 Dispersion Relations and Wave Equations: The Free Particle 3.4 Operators 3.5 Eigenfunctions and Eigenvalues 3.6 The Particle in a One-Dimensional Box 3.7 The Indeterminacy or Uncertainty Principle 3.8 Expectation Values Summary of Postulates 3.9 Particles in Two- and Three-Dimensional Boxes 3.10 Particles in Circular Boxes 3.11 Particles in Spherical Boxes 3.12 The Rigid Rotor Appendix 3A: More on Circular Coordinates and the Circular Box 4. PARTICLES IN VARYING POTENTIAL FIELDS TRANSITIONS 4.1 Finite Potential Barriers 4.2 The Quantum Mechanical Harmonic Oscillator 4.3 The Hydrogen Atom 4.4 The Shapes of Orbitals 4.5 Transitions between Energy Levels 5. THE STRUCTURE OF ATOMS 5.1 Electron Spin Magnetic Phenomena 5.2 The Pauli Exclusion Principle the Aufbau Principle 5.3 Electronic Configurations of Atoms 5.4 Calculation of Atomic Structures 5.5 Atomic Structure and Periodic Behavior 5.6 Term Splitting and the Vector Model 5.7 Fine Structure and Spin-Orbit Interactions Appendix 5A: The Stern-Gerlach Experiment 6. THE CHEMICAL BOND IN THE SIMPLEST MOLECULES: H[2+ AND H[2 6.1 Bonding Forces between Atoms 6.2 The Simplest Molecule: The Hydrogen Molecule-Ion, H[2+ 6.3 H[2+: Molecular Orbitals and the LCAO Approximation 6.4 H[2+: Obtaining the Energy Curve 6.5 H[2+: Correlation of Orbitals Excited States 6.6 The H[2 Molecule: Simple MO Description 6.7 Symmetry Properties of Identical Particles 6.8 H[2: The Valence Bond Representation 6.9 H[2: Beyond the Simple MO and VB Approximations 6.10 H[2: Excited Electronic States Appendix 6A: Orthogonality Appendix 6B: Hermitian Operators 7. MORE ABOUT DIATOMIC MOLECULES 7.1 Vibrations of Diatomic Molecules 7.2 Rotations of Diatomic Molecules 7.3 Spectra of Diatomic Molecules 7.4 The Ionic Bond 7.5 Homonuclear Diatomic Molecules: Molecular Orbitals and Orbital Correlation 7.6 Homonuclear Diatomic Molecules: Aufbau Principle and Structure of First-Row Molecules 7.7 Introduction to Heteronuclear Diatomic Molecules: Electronegativity 7.8 Bonding in LiH: Crossing and Noncrossing Potential Curves 7.9 Other First-Row Diatomic Hydrides 7.10 Isoelectronic and Other Series Appendix 7A: Perturbation Theory 8. TRIATOMIC MOLECULES 8.1 Electronic Structure and Geometry in the Simplest Cases: H[3 and H[3+ 8.2 Dihydrides: Introduction to the Water Molecule 8.3 Hybrid Orbitals 8.4 Delocalized Orbitals in H[2O: The General MO Method 8.5 Bonding in More Complex Triatomic Molecules 8.6 Normal Coordinates and Modes of Vibration 8.7 A Solvable Example: The Vibrational Modes of CO[2 8.8 Transitions and Spectra of Polyatomic Molecules: Rotations and Vibrations 8.9 Transitions and Spectra of Polyatomic Molecules: Magnetic Transitions 8.10 Transitions and Spectra of Polyatomic Molecules: Electronic Transitions 9. LARGER POLYATOMIC MOLECULES 9.1 Small Molecules 9.2 Catenated Carbon Compounds Transferability 9.3 Other Extended Structures 9.4 Some Steric Effects 9.5 Complex Ions and Other Coordination Compounds: Simple Polyhedra 9.6 Chirality and Optical Rotation 9.7 Chiral and Other Complex Ions 9.8 Magnetic Properties of Complexes 9.9 Electronic Structure of Complexes Appendix 9A: Schmidt Orthogonalization 10. INTERMOLECULAR FORCES 10.1 Long-Range Forces: Interactions between Charge Distributions 10.2 Empirical Intermolecular Potentials 10.3 Weakly Associated Molecules 11. THE STRUCTURE OF SOLIDS 11.1 Some General Properties of Solids 11.2 Space Lattices and Crystal Symmetry 11.3 X-ray Diffraction from Crystals: The Bragg Model 11.4 The Laue Model 11.5 Determination of Crystal Structures 11.6 Techniques of Diffraction 11.7 Molecular Crystals 11.8 Structures of Ionic Crystals 11.9 Binding Energy of Ionic Crystals 11.10 Covalent Solids 11.11 The Free-Electron Theory of Metals 11.12 The Band Theory of Solids 11.13 Conductors, Insulators, and Semiconductors 11.14 Other Forms of Condensed Matter APPENDICES I. Systems of Units II. Partial Derivatives III. Glossary of Symbols IV. Searching the Scientific Literature INDEX