Atomic and molecular physics PH5410: Assignment 1

Reference: Physics of Atoms and Molecules by Bransden and Joachain, Chapter 3 1

1. Consider Hydrogen atom wave function.

a. Calculate the expectation values of hri, hr2 i, h 1r i, hpi, hp2 i for the following states 1s, 2s, 2p.
b. Verify that the virial theorem [2hT i = −V ] is satisfied.
2. Consider the wave function at (t = 0) given by superposition of energy eigenfunction ψnlm (r)
1
Ψ(r, t = 0) = √ [2ψ100 (r) − 3ψ200 (r) + ψ322 (r)]
14
a. Is the wave function an eigenfunction of parity operator?
b. What is the probability of finding the system in the (i) ground state (100), (ii)(200), (iii)(300)
and (iv)any other state?
c. Find the expectation value of the energy and the operators L2 and Lz .
3. Any region where the kinetic energy becomes negative for any particle motion is classically
forbidden. For a hydrogen atom in ground state, of total energy E1s = − 21 a.u.
a. Find the classically forbidden region.
b. Using the ground state wave function ψ1s (r), calculate the probability of finding the electron
in the region.
4. The electron and proton of hydrogen atom interact not only through the electrostatic
Ze2
potential V (r) = − 4π0r
, by also by mean gravitational interaction. Using perturbation theory,
∆E
obtain the relative energy shift E 1s
, where ∆E is the energy shift due to the gravitational force
2 4
and E1s = − 16πµz e
2 2 ~2 n2 with z = 1 and n = 1.
0
(Note: The gravitational constant is G = 6.672 × 10−11 N m2 kg −2 .)
5. The Tritium nucleus (31 H) is unstable and by beta emission it decays to (32 He). The process
is instantaneous and as a result there is a sudden doubling of the coulomb attraction between
the atomic electron and the nucleus. Assuming that the tritium atom is in ground state when
the decay takes place, and neglecting recoil effects(M = ∞) that immediately after the decay the
He+ ion can be found:
a. In its ground state 1s?
b. In any state other than the ground state? (Total probability for excitation or ionization).
c. In the2s state?
d. In the state with l 6= 0?
6. Use the definition φ(p) = (2π~)−3/2 e−ip·r/~ ψ(r)dr, obtain the momentum space wave
R
function of the hydrogen atom for 1s, 2s and 2p states.
[Hint: Use the expansion
∞ X
X l
ik·r ∗
e = 4π il jl (κr)Ylm (k̂)Ylm (r̂)
l=0 m=−l

and ∞
(2b)l l!
Z
e−ax jl (bx)xl+1 dx = ]
0 (a2 + b2 )l+1
1 For queries contact at srkrishnan@iitm.ac.in or suvashis@physics.iitm.ac.in