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Wave mechanics of a particle trapped in an

impenetrable spherical cavity
ARTICLE JULY 2014

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Yatendra Singh Jain
North Eastern Hill University
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Wave mechanics of a particle trapped in an

impenetrable spherical cavity
Yatendra S. Jain
Department of Physics
North-eastern Hill University, Shillong, 793022, India
Abstract
Wave mechanics of a particle in an impenetrable spherical cavity is critically
analysed to conclude correct values of the ground state momentum and energy of the
particle, viz., k10 = /D and E10 = h2 /8mD 2 (not k10 = /R and E10 = h2 /8mR2
as concluded in the literature). The conclusion is supported by experiments and
several points of logic and physical realities.

Key words: Quantum particle, spherical cavity.

c
with
author

Retired Professor, Communication address profysjain@gmail.com

1. Introduction
Wave mechanics of a particle trapped in an impenetrable spherical cavity (Fig.1(A)) is
the simplest of all problems related to the motion of a particle in a spherically symmetric
potential V (r). These problems are described by 3-D Schrodiger equation written in polar
coordinates, r, and as,
h
2 1
2m r 2

"

r2
r
r

+
sin
sin

1 2
+
sin2 2

!#

+ (E V (r)) = 0,

(1)

with = (r, , ), m = mass of the particle, h

(= h/2) being reduced Plancks constant
and E = eigen energy. However, the approach of solving this problem, as reported briefly
in Section 2 and with details in [1, 2]), misses certain physical realities and concludes
erroneous results; this is confirmed by the fact that the results do not agree with related
experimental observations (Section 4). Evidently, we do not have correct understanding of
the quantum states of the particle trapped in spherical cavity for the reasons concluded in
Section 5. However. in this chapter, we avoid these reasons to conclude error free results
showing good agreement with experiments.
2. Salient points of the approach
The eigen energy solutions for a particle constrained to move under the influence of a
spherically symmetric V (r) can be obtained simply by solving the radial part of its 3-D
Schrodinger equation (Eqn.(1)), i.e.,
h
2 1 d
h
2 l(l + 1)
2 dRl (r)
r
+
E

V
(r)
+
l
2m r 2 dr
dr
2m r 2
!

"

!#

Rl (r) = 0.

(2)

Here Rl (r) is the eigen function of a quantum state of energy El with l (=0, 1, 2, 3, ...)
being a quantum
number which signifies that the particle in the state has an angular
q
momentum, l(l + 1)h/2.
As V (r), in our problem, is defined by
V (r < R) = 0 and V (r R) = ,

(3)

we use V (r) = 0 to arrange Eqn.(2) as

l(l + 1)
2m
d2 Rl (r) 2 dRl (r)
Rl (r) = 0,
+
+
2 El
2
dr
r dr
r2
h

"

(4)

which has the form of standard Bessel equation. Accordingly, Rl (r) can be expressed as
Rl (r) = Ajl (kr) + Bnl (kr)
2

(5)

where jl (kr) and nl (kr) (two mutually independent Bessel functions) are the solutions
of Eqn.(4) with k representing momentum wave vector of the particle and A and B
being constants whose values depend on the physical realities of the problem. In variance
with the nature of jl (kr), which remains finite at all r, nl (kr) diverges to at r = 0.
Consequently, it is argued [1, 2] that nl (kr) is a physically unacceptable function for our
problem for which we must have B = 0 in Eqn.(5). This renders
Rl (r) = Ajl (kr).

(6)

Simplifying Eqn.(2) further by using,

Rl (r) =

l (r)
,
r

(7)

we obtain,
h
2 l(l + 1)
h
2 d2 l (r)
+
E

V
(r)
+
l
2m dr 2
2m r 2
"

!#

l (r) = 0,

(8)

which indicates that our problem of solving Eqn.2 gets reduced to solving a Schrodinger
equation which represents simple 1-D motion of a particle along a radial line of the
spherical cavity in a modified potential,
V (r) = V (r) + h
/ 2m)l(l + 1)/r 2 .

(9)

The added term (h/ 2m)l(l + 1)/r 2 , obviously, represents the source of centrifugal force on
the particle. Use of Eqn.(7) in Eqn.(6), renders
l (r) = rRl (r) = Arjl (kr)

(10)

Evidently, all l (r) not only vanish at r = 0 (or kr = 0), they also have zero values of each
jl (kr) at several points of non-zero kr (counted by an integer index (n = 1, 2, 3...) which
are defined by knl r = nl (with nl being an integer or non-integer number). On the
other hand all l (r) have to have their zero value at r = R as a result of V (r = R) =
(Eqn.3); using this as a boundary condition, we have
knl R = nl

or

knl =

nl
R

(11)

which gives
2
h
2 knl
2 h2
= nl 2
2m
8mR
as eigen energies of different quantum states of the particle.

Enl =

(12)

3 : l = 0 states
A l = 0 state (known as sstate) is a state, where particle moves along any one of
the infinite many radial lines of the spherical cavity, as depicted in Fig.1B(i) where it is
3

shown to be moving along the solid line, although, in principle, it has equal probability
to move along any other radial line (two shown in the figure or many not shown in the
figure). For a better perception of different l states we also draw notional sketches of
closed paths representing l 6= 0 states (such as p, d, f , .. etc.) in Fig.1C which
depicts the particle moving on closed polygons. It may, however, be clear that real orbits
could be different and smoother than these polygons; their use in the depiction is intended
only to highlight the difference of l 6= 0 states.
In order to determine kn0 and En0 of l = 0 states (sstates) of the trapped particle,
it is instructive to rewrite Eqn.(8) by putting l = 0 and V (r) = V (r < R) = 0, -relevant
to our problem. We have,
h
2 d2 0 (r)
+ E0 0 (r) = 0.
(13)
2m dr 2
which shows that all s-states of the particle should be exactly identical to the states
of a particle trapped in 1-D box of size D = 2R (diameter of the cavity cf., Fig.1B(i)
and Fig.1B(ii)) because two walls of infinite potential on a radial line are located at a
separation D and the particle sees zero potential at all points between r = R to r = +R.
Accordingly, kn0 and En0 of these states should be given by
kn0 =

n
D

and

En0 =

n2 h2
8mD 2

(14)

indicating that the ground state of the particle identified with n = 1 has
k10 =

and

E10 =

h2
8mD 2

(15)

Note that integer value of n is consistent with the fact that zeroes of j0 (kr) = sin(kr)/kr
too occurs at kr = n (where n = 1, 2, 3, ... is an integer) which indicates that n0 for the
s =states is an integer number.
Interestingly, the approach of finding relations for kn0 and En0 (as used in the literature) does not make any argument to conclude that the size of the equivalent 1D box is
D. Also, it asks no question as to why the state function of a particle moving across the
radial line of the sphere [i.e. along the length of an equivalent 1D box (cf., Fig.1B(i) and
B(ii))] should vanish at the mid point of 1D box as a matter of a boundary condition as
used in the approach. Without any such argument or question,it uses n0 = n directly in
Eqns.(11 and 12) and concludes,
kn0 =

n
R

and

En0 =

n2 h2
8mR2

(16)

k10 =

and

E10 =

h2
8mR2

(17)

which renders

To facilitate further discussion in relation to these results, we identify Eqn.(14) + Eqn.(15)

as Set-I and Eqn.(16)+Eqn.(17) as Set-II. It is clear that only one of these sets represents
the correct result. However, since experimental observation (as analysed in Section 4)
reveals that results of Set-II concluded in the literature are erroneous.
4 : Comparison with experiments
4.1 Electric mobility of electron bubble
Although there are several real systems which represent a quantum particle trapped
in a spherical cavity, however, the best example is an electron bubble (EB), -an electron
occupying its ground state in a self created spherical cavity in liquid 4 He as depicted
in Fig.2A. The bubble of radius R (cf., Fig.2B representing an expanded picture of the
bubble shown in Fig.2A)) is exclusively occupied by an electron at its ground state. An EB
neither represents a quantum particle in the spherical cavity placed with a scatterer like
an atom at the center of the cavity (cf., Fig.2C) nor with a spherical cavity having another
concentric sphere of impenetrable walls as depicted in Fig.2D(i); it rather represents a
particle in a spherical cavity (cf., Fig.2D(ii)) which is exclusively occupied by the quantum
particle. We note that, in the absence of an external pressure, the energy of an EB is
given by [3]
A
+ BR2
(18)
Eb =
2
(R)
where A = h2 /8m and B = 4 [with being the surface tension of liquid 4 He]), respectively, represent zero-point energy of the electron and surface energy of the bubble; here
= 2 and 1, respectively, refers to E10 of Set-I and Set-II. We use Eqn.(18) to find R of
an EB for its lowest possible energy by using R (Eb ) = 0. This renders
R = (A/B)1/4

1
1/2

(19)

which reveals that the said R of EB would be smaller by a factor of 1/ 2 = 1/1.42 if

we use E10 from Set-I in place of that from Set-II. To decide which E10 is correct, we
compare experimentally observed mobility (exp ) of an EB measured under the influence
an electric field E with theoretically value [4]
theo =

vd
e
=
,
E
6R

(20)

which depends on R. In Eqn.(20), vd is drift velocity of an EB, e is electron charge,

and is viscosity of liquid 4 He. Enss and Hunklinger [page 67], make their observation
on how exp and theo compare, by stating, the prefactor 1/6 must be replaced with
1/4 to obtain a quantitative agreement which means that exp is higher than theo by
a factor of 1.5 or the real R of EB in liquid Helium-4 is shorter (by a factor of 1/1.5)
5

than that obtained by using E10 of Set-II concluded in the literature. In what follows
from Eqn.(19), R estimated by E10 of Set-I is expected to be shorter by a factor of 1/1.42
which falls reasonably close to 1/1.5 (a correction suggested by Enss and Hunklinger[4] for
the quantitative agreement between theo and exp . Evidently, exp supports the accuracy
of E10 of Set-I (Eqn.(15) or, in other words, it questions the accuracy of E10 of Set-II
(Eqn.(17)).
4.2 Experimental Density of liquid Helium and E10 of a 4 He-atom
Based on experimentally known density () of liquid 4 He available in [5], we find that
E10 determined separately by using Eqn.15(Set-I) and Eqn.17(Set-II) fall around 4.2 and
17 K, respectively. To this effect, we assume that each atom occupies a spherical cavity
of diameter D and determine its value by using D = v 1/3 = (m/)1/3 where m is mass of
a He-atom. Each atom in liquid 4 He has a potential energy Vo 21K and a latent heat
L 7K [4,6] which indicates that its kinetic energy is about 14 K at the boiling point
of the liquid [5]. Since atoms at T 6= 0 have finite amount of kinetic energy due to their
thermal motions, E10 is expected to much lower than 14K. This is corroborated by the
fact that liquid 4 He becomes superfluid (He-II) at 2.17 K and He-II has very little amount
of kinetic energy due to thermal motions [5] indicating that E10 of a 4 He atom can not
be higher than the maximum possible kinetic energy, 3kB T 3x2.17 = 6.5K. Since this
agrees closely with E10 4.2 estimated from Eqn.(15), it is evident that Eqns.(16 and
17) (Set-II) which render E10 17 K have errors.
5. Other indicators of errors in set-II (Eqn.(16/17)
1. In what follows from Section 2, kn0 and En0 of Set-I (Eqn.14/15) are lower than
those of set-II (Eqn.16/17) by a factor of 1/2 and 1/4, respectively. Since Eqn.(14/15) is
consistent with the physical reality that the particle in its sstates, moving along a radial
line does not see any potential at r = 0, it is evident that R0 (r) (sstate wave functions,
Eqn.6) should not be zero at r = 0 (as a matter of a condition); however, since Set-II is
obtained by using R0 (r = 0) = 0, Eqns.(16 and 17) have a source of an error.
2. Fig.3 depicts four cavities of different shapes and symmetries, -say, spherical, cubical,
rectangular, and irregular. A particle, trapped in each of these cavities, experiences zero
potential at all points within the boundaries of their impenetrable walls (whether the point
is the center of a cavity or away from it); this implies that the particle motion at all these
points can be described by
h
2 2
(r) + E(r) = 0
(21)
2m
with (r) = 1V exp [ik.r] which can also be written as
1
(x, y, z) = exp [i(kx x + ky y + kz z)].
V
6

(22)

Here k is particle momentum related corresponding energy E (Eqn.21) through

E=

h
2 2
h
2 2
[kx + ky2 + kz2 ] =
k
2m
2m

(23)

with kx , ky and kz being the magnitudes of kx , ky , and kz representing three mutually

perpendicular components of k. Although, the boundary condition, that (r) (Eqn.22)
should be zero at every point on the impenetrable walls of every cavity, is expected to
modify the plane wave nature of P si(r), however, there is no reason for which (r) should
be zero (as a matter of necessary condition) at any point where potential (V (x, y, z)) is
zero. While this premise is honored in determining the eigen value solutions for the
particle trapped in a cubical or rectangular or irregular shape cavity, it is not honored in
concluding set-II (Eqn.(16/17) for a spherical cavity; if (x, y, z) expressed in cartesian
coordinates is not expected to vanish at a point (say, at the center of the cavity, (0,0,0)),
how it can be expected to vanish at the same point just because the same is expressed
as (r, , ) in polar coordinates. This, obviously, indicates a flaw with what kn0 and En0
concluded by Set-II (Eqn.16/17).
3. Huang and Yang [7] used Eqn.(2) for a particle trapped in the space between two
concentric impenetrable spherical surfaces of radii R and a (with R > a) (shown in
Fig.2D(i)). Using the boundary condition, Rl=0 (r = R) = 0 and Rl=0 (r = a) = 0, they
obtained,
R0 (r) = C

sin k(r a)
kr

for a < r < R and

Rl=o (r a) = 0,

(24)

where C stands for normalization constant and

kn0 =

n
,
(R a)

and En0 =

n2 h2
8m(R a)2

with n = 1, 2, 3, ...

(25)

Using a = (an infinitesimally small radius of inner sphere, we have

kn0 =

n
n

,
R
R

as R >>

En0 =

n = 1, 2, 3, ...,

n2 h2
8mR2

(26)

(27)

and
Rl=0 (r) = B

sin [k(r )]
sin kr
B
kr
kr

at r > and

Rl=0 (r ) = 0

(28)

for the particle in a cavity which has an infinitely small size impenetrable sphere which,
obviously, serves as a source of scattering potential at r = 0. We call this as Cavity-(i)
(cf., Fig.2D(i)) to distinguish it from Cavity-(ii) (cf., Fig.2D(ii)) which has no such source
7

of potential at any r < R. Since literature for Cavity-ii concludes Set-II(Eqn.16/17) and
we find sames values (Eqn.27) for Cavity-(i), we have,
En0 (i) = En0 (ii),

(29)

which contradicts the normal expectation, that two different physical systems are expected
to have some difference in their energy spectrum. Again, this analysis indicates that
En0 (ii) is erroneous.
4. In different types of scattering, which are described in terms Rl (r) (Eqn.(5) and/or
Eqn.(6)), one uses a beam of particles, moving along the z-axis as a plane wave (r) =
A exp(ikz), towards the scatterer (a source of spherically symmetric V (r) at r = 0) which
scatters the beam particles in all possible directions as spherical waves (exp(ikr)/r as
depicted in Fig.4(A). The theory of the phenomenon finds that the scattered particles
moving as spherical waves (see concentric circles in, see Figs.4(A-D)), which at large r,
where V (r) can be presumed to be zero and l(l + 1)/r 2 has vanishingly small value, are
represented by Rl (r) = Ajl (r) or exp(ikr)/r] and rightly assumed to have zero value at
r = 0 because the scatterer and scattered particles are not expected to occupy common
coordinates. However, the possibility of transformation of a plane wave (exp(ik.r)) in
to spherical waves is questionable if there is no scatterer at r = 0 (cf., Fig.4(C)). Hence
it appears that the approach, which concludes Set-II(Eqn.(16/17)) for Cavity-ii (Fig.4(C
and D)), presumes that : (i) the plane wave representing the trapped particle too has its
scattering from the center of the cavity r = 0 and (ii) the spherical waves, (Rl (r)), so
generated have zero value at this point. However, both these assumptions are unjustified
since they ignore two important physical realities: (i) Rl (r) is not expected to vanish at
r = 0 (as matter of boundary condition) at a point where V (r) = 0, and (ii) a simple plane
wave is not expected to get transformed into spherical waves from a point which is not
occupied by a scatterer as a source of non-zero V (r), as this violates the basic principle
of cause and effect which means that nothing happens without a cause.
If scattering of the particle is believed to occur in Cavity-ii, it is expected to occur when
the particle strikes a point on the boundary wall of the cavity (cf., Fig.4(D). Evidently,
the origin (r = 0) of scattering of the particle in Cavity-ii is located at its boundary
wall, -not at its centre. Naturally, Rl (r) generated in this process and travelling along the
radial line (i.e., a swave) is bound to have its zero at two points on the inner surface
of the cavity, -separated, obviously, by D (not by R). Once this reality is accepted for
swaves, it becomes clear that l 6= 0 states (p, d, f , .... etc., where particle follows
non-radial paths, as shown in Fig.1(C) can also be believed to have
knl =

nl
D

and

Enl =

2 2
nl
h
8mD 2

(30)

It may be mentioned that arguments (3) and (4) have been reported in our earlier report
[8] on this issue.
8

6. Conclusion
Analysing the wave mechanics of a particle trapped in a spherical cavity of diameter
D = 2R, we find that the correct values of energy and momentum of the particle in its
l = 0 states are En0 = n2 h2 /8mD 2 and kn0 = n/D. This is supported unequivocally by
experimental observations related to the mobility of an electron bubble in liquid Helium-4
and zero point energy of an atom in liquid 4 He. In what follows, we find reasons for which
En0 = n2 h2 /8mR2 and kn0 = n/R, concluded in the literature, have a source of error and
it is for this reason that these values are inconsistent with experiments. A generalisation
2 2
of our analysis also concludes that for l 6= 0 states one has Enl = nl
h /8mD 2 and
knl = nl /D. This study is expected to help in having a better understanding of the
quantum states of a particle trapped in Cavity-(i) and Cavity-(ii).
Acknowledgment: Author is thankful to Drs. S. Dey, Simanta Chutia and Mr. J. P.
Gewali for useful interaction.

References
[1] S. Flugge, Practical Quantum Mechanics, (Springer-Verlag, New York, 1974).
[2] G. Aruldas, quantum Mechanics, (Prentice-Hall of India, Delhi, 2002).
[3] H. Maris and S. Balibar, Physics Today, (Feb 2000), pp 29-34.
[4] C. Enss and S. Hunklinger, Low Temperature Physics, Springer Verlag, Berlin,
(2005).
[5] J. Wilks, The properties of Liquid and Solid Helium. Clarendon Press, Oxford (1967).
[6] K.H. Benneman and J.B. Ketterson, (eds.): The Physics of Liquid and Solid Helium,
Part-I. Wiley, New York (1976).
[7] K. Huang and C. N. Yang, Phys. Rev. 105, 767 (1957).
[8] S. Dey and Y. S. Jain, On the wave mechanics of a particle in two different impenetrable spherical cavities, arXiv:1002.4308.

10

Figure 1: Depiction of: (A) a particle in a spherical cavity, (B) motion of the particle
along a radial line in its l = 0 state (or sstate and its equivalence to the motion motion
of a particle trapped in 1D box of size D), and (C) the motion of the particles along nonradial closed paths representing l 6= 0 states. While we chose closed polygons to highlight
the difference among different l 6= 0 states, the real orbits could be more complex and
smooth.
11

Figure 2: Depiction of: (A) an electron bubble, (B) expanded picture of the bubble
marked with its radius R, (C) particle trapped in a cavity located with a source (say an
atom with spherically symmetric structure), (D-(i)) a particle trapped in a space between
two concentric spheres of impenetrable walls of radius R and a and (D-(ii)) a particle
trapped in spherical cavity having V (r < R) = 0, -a true depiction of the case of present
study. D-(i) and D-(ii) are, respectively, identified as Cavity-(i) and Cavity-(ii) when
a = , -infinitely small size
.
12

Figure 3: particle trapped in (A) spherical, (B) cubical, (C) rectangular, (D) irregular
cavities having different shapes and size. Particle in the left and right side depictions is,
respectively, seen at the mid point and off mid point of cavities.

13

Figure 4: (A) A beam of particles represented by exp (ikz) is scattered from a spherically
symmetric scatterer (dark black) presumably placed at the center r = 0 of a spherical
shell (2D representation by dashed circle); the gray colour circle represents the extended
region of the potential V (r). Spherically symmetric scattered waves exp(ikr)/r (which
can also be described as Rl (r) (Red circles) as shown in (B) where these waves also meet
the impenetrable boundary walls of spherical cavity, (C) Should spherical waves emerge
even if there is no scatterer at the center of spherical cavity ? (D) Depiction of the fact
that, in a case when cavity has no scatterer at its center, the real scattering/ reflection of
a particle takes place at a point, -any where at the inner surface of the spherical cavity,
hence r = 0 of a Rl (r) lies at such points.
14