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Oxford University Press eBooks

Exact solutions

N. J. B. Green

Published Sep 11, 1997• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

This chapter evaluates some of the simplified Schrödinger equations obtained in the previous chapter, and presents explicit solutions for the energy levels and the corresponding wavefunctions. It begins by looking at the free particle and the particle in a box. The particle in a box is the simplest example of a confined particle, and enables us to understand the origin of many features of such systems, such as the appearance of discrete energy levels. It is a general feature of particles confined by a potential to some region of space that solutions to the Schrödinger equation can only be found at certain discrete energies. The chapter then considers the harmonic oscillator; angular momentum; rotations of a polyatomic molecule; and the hydrogen atom.

DOI
10.1093/hesc/9780198557616.003.0004

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This chapter evaluates some of the simplified Schrödinger equations obtained in the previous chapter, and presents explicit solutions for the energy levels and the corresponding wavefunctions. It begins by looking at the free particle and the particle in a box. The particle in a box is the simplest example of a confined particle, and enables us to understand the origin of many features of such systems, such as the appearance of discrete energy levels. It is a general feature of particles confined by a potential to some region of space that solutions to the Schrödinger equation can only be found at certain discrete energies. The chapter then considers the harmonic oscillator; angular momentum; rotations of a polyatomic molecule; and the hydrogen atom.
Abstract It is a common practice to approach quantum mechanics through the study of a few, exactly soluble examples using the Schrödinger equation in position-space. The number of potential energy functions for which such closed-form solutions are available is, however, quite small. Luckily, many of them actually correspond reasonably well to actual physical systems; examples include the infinite well as a model of a free particle ina “box “ (Chapters 5 and 7), the harmonic oscillator (Chapter 9), the rigid rotator (Chapter 16), and the Coulomb potential for the hydrogen atom (Chapter
There are certain prime features of physical systems—notably rotation and its associated angular momentum—that simply do not appear in a one-dimensional world. This chapter introduces the three-dimensional Schrodinger equation and applies it to the analysis of a particle in a three-dimensional box and to the spherically symmetric wave functions of hydrogen. The time-independent Schrodinger equation can be viewed in a way that gives it a family resemblance to many other differential equations of physics, and which expresses its structure in very general terms. A computer solution uses dimensionless variables based on natural units. The Schrodinger theory does not have the limitations of the Bohr theory. Schrodinger theory incorporates the well-established wave nature of matter and can be generalized to analyze systems for which the Bohr theory has proven inadequate: multi-electron atoms, chemical properties of atoms, molecular and solid-state physics and chemistry, as well as more subtle effects in hydrogen itself.
This chapter describes a particle confined to a finite region of space that can possess only certain discrete energies. It also looks at the corresponding wavefunctions. It analyzes the quantization of energy that emerges as a natural consequence of solving the Schrödinger equation and the conditions imposed on it. It also introduces a striking non-classical feature of small particles, which describes their ability to penetrate into and through regions where classical physics would forbid them to be found. The chapter talks about the translational energy levels of a particle which are confined to a finite region of space and are quantized. It explores how quantum mechanics reveal the ability of a particle to penetrate into and through regions where classical physics would forbid it to be found.
In the previous chapters, we have shown how to solve the Schrodinger equation for several systems as a particle in an infinite and finite potential well, scattering, harmonic oscillator, and hydrogen atom. For all these systems, we were able to solve Schrodinger's equation exactly. However, there are complicated potentials for which Schrodinger's equation cannot be solved exactly. For such situations, we resort to approximation methods for finding approximate solutions to the Schrodinger equation. In this chapter, we discuss several approximate methods for solving Schrodinger's equation.
Solutions of the Schrödinger equation for central potentials and for cubic systems are the main contents of the chapter. Motion in a central field, energy eigenvalues and wave functions for the hydrogen atom, radial probability density, solutions for the 3D spherically symmetric potential well, and free electron motion in a 3D-box are discussed with the use of algebra that clarifies the essential physics in a simple but appealing manner. Derivation of energy eigenvalues for the hydrogen atom and for a free electron cubic box clearly illustrates the concept of quantization of energy. The number of states and the density of states are introduced for the case of an electron confined to a cubic box. Carefully chosen solved examples further consolidate the understanding of solutions of the Schrödinger equation for central potentials and for a cubic system.
This chapter exclusively deals with the application of Schrödinger equation on various systems such as the particle in a box; the particle in a rectangular three-dimensional box; energy levels for a cubic potential box; the tunnel effect; the final equation for tunnel effect, that is, transparency factor which gives a clue to understand that the probability of transmission decreases rapidly as the width of the barrier increases; quantum mechanical explanation of emission of α -particle; the particle on a ring considering spherical polar co-ordinates; and the particle on sphere. This chapter also comprises the Legendre polynomials, associated Legendre equation, associated Legendre function and spherical harmonics, Hermite polynomials and its applications, and orthogonal properties of Hermite polynomials. It also provides the standard topics like simple linear harmonic oscillator, and its classical and quantum mechanical treatment which also includes the asymptotic and series solutions and energy levels of a linear harmonic oscillator. The Schrödinger equation also plays with rigid rotors comprising its rigorous treatment and also the F and T equations which are very important. The chapter ends with the references, standard several computational problems, questions on concepts, and also standard numerical problems for the benefits of the readers.