Quantum Mechanics - Homework Assignment 3

Alejandro Gomez Espinosa

October 8, 2012
1) Consider two point charges of identical mass m conned to a 2D plane with an external
potential
1
2
(x
2
i
+y
2
i
) aecting both particles (i = 1, 2), and a radial (e.g., Coulomb)
interaction k/|r
1
r
2
| between the particles.
a) Choosing x
1
, y
1
, x
2
, y
2
coordinates, write the Lagrangian and obtain the Lagrange
equations of motion.
In this coordinates, the kinetic energy for the two particles is:
T =
1
2
m
_
x
2
1
+ y
2
1
+ x
2
2
+ y
2
2
_
For the potential energy, we have to dene |r
1
r
2
| = |
_
(x
1
x
2
)
2
+ (y
1
+y
2
)
2
|.
Then:
V =
1
2
(x
2
1
+y
2
1
+x
2
2
+y
2
2
) +
k
|
_
(x
1
x
2
)
2
+ (y
1
+y
2
)
2
|
Thus, the Lagrangian:
L = TV =
1
2
m
_
x
2
1
+ y
2
1
+ x
2
2
+ y
2
2
_

1
2
(x
2
1
+y
2
1
+x
2
2
+y
2
2
)
k
|
_
(x
1
x
2
)
2
+ (y
1
+y
2
)
2
|
To solve Euler-Lagrangian equations, lets solve only for x
1
and then we can
easily have the other terms:
L
x
1
= x
1

k(x
1
x
2
)
((x
1
x
2
)
2
+ (y
1
+y
2
)
2
)
3/2
d
dt
_
L
x
1
_
=
d
dt
(m x
1
) = m x
1
d
dt
_
L
x
1
_

L
x
1
= 0 = m x
1
+x
1
+
k(x
1
x
2
)
((x
1
x
2
)
2
+ (y
1
+y
2
)
2
)
3/2
Finally our equations of motion are:
m x
1
+x
1
+
k(x
1
x
2
)
((x
1
x
2
)
2
+ (y
1
+y
2
)
2
)
3/2
= 0
m y
1
+y
1
+
k(y
1
y
2
)
((x
1
x
2
)
2
+ (y
1
+y
2
)
2
)
3/2
= 0

gomez@physics.rutgers.edu
1
m x
2
+x
2

k(x
1
x
2
)
((x
1
x
2
)
2
+ (y
1
+y
2
)
2
)
3/2
= 0
m y
2
+y
2

k(y
1
y
2
)
((x
1
x
2
)
2
+ (y
1
+y
2
)
2
)
3/2
= 0
b) Choose center-of-mass coordinates X, Y, x, y instead and repeat.
To transform the previous coordinates in center-of-mass coordinates, we choose:
x = x
1
x
2
, y = y
1
y
2
|r
1
r
2
| =
_
x
2
2
+y
2
2
X =
mx
1
+mx
2
m+m
=
(x
1
+x
2
)
2
, Y =
(y
1
+y
2
)
2
Then, the kinetic and potential energy, replacing in the results of (a):
T = m(

X
2
+

Y
2
) +
1
4
m( x
2
+ y
2
)
V =
k
_
x
2
+y
2
+
1
2
(X
2
+Y
2
+x
2
+y
2
)
We have the Lagrangian from L = T V . Then, solving for x:
L
x
=
kx
(x
2
+y
2
)
3/2
x
d
dt
_
L
x
_
=
1
2
m x
where the procedure is similar for y. Thus, solve for X:
L
X
= X
d
dt
_
L

X
_
= 2m

X
where the procedure is the same for Y . Finally our equations of motions are:
1
2
m x +
kx
(x
2
+y
2
)
3/2
+x = 0
1
2
m y +
ky
(x
2
+y
2
)
3/2
+y = 0
2m

X X = 0
2m

Y Y = 0
2
c) Transform further to radial coordinates for the relative coordinate (x, y r, )
and the center-of-mass coordinate (X, Y R, ) and repeat.
Replacing x = r cos , y = r sin , X = Rcos and Y = Rsin , we have the
potential and kinetic energy:
T = m(

R
2
+R
2

2
) +
m
4
( r
2
+r
2

2
)
V =
k
r
+
1
2
(R
2
+r
2
)
Solving the Euler-Lagrange equations for r:
L
r
=
k
r
2
r +
m
2
r

2
d
dt
_
L
r
_
=
m
2
r
Next for R:
L
R
= R + 2mR

2
d
dt
_
L

R
_
= 2m

R
Then for :
L

= 0
d
dt
_
L

_
=
d
dt
_
mr
2

2
_
where is similar for . Then the equations of motion are:
m
2
r +
k
r
2
+r
m
2
r

2
= 0
2m

R +R 2mR

2
= 0
mr
2

= a, with a constant
mR
2

= A, with A constant
d) Write Hamiltons equations of motion for case (c). Comment on cyclic coordi-
nates and describe the behavior of the system in general terms.
From (c), we have that the coordinates and are cyclic coordinates because
L
q
i
= 0. It means that the momentum in this coordinates is conserved. Thus,
our previous Lagrange is:
L = m
_

R
2
+
A
2
m
2
R
2
_
+
m
4
_
r
2
+
a
2
m
2
r
2
_

k
r

1
2
(R
2
+r
2
)
The Hamiltonian of our system would be build from:
H =

i
p
i
q
i
L where p
i
=
L
q
i
3
Calculating the momentum:
p
r
=
m
2
r r =
2p
r
m
p
R
= 2m

R

R =
p
R
2m
Then, the Hamiltonian has the form:
H = p
r
_
2p
r
m
_
+p
R
_
p
R
2m
_
m
_
p
2
R
4m
2
_

A
2
mR
2

m
4
_
4p
2
r
m
2
_

a
2
4mr
2
+
k
r
+
1
2
(R
2
+r
2
)
H =
p
2
r
m
+
p
2
R
4m

A
2
mR
2

a
2
4mr
2
+
k
r
+
1
2
(R
2
+r
2
)
To solve the equations of motion:
r =
H
p
r
=
2p
r
m
p
r
=
H
r
=
_
a
2
2mr
3

k
r
2
+r
_

R =
H
p
R
=
p
R
2m
p
R
=
H
R
=
_
2a
2
mr
3
+R
_
2) a) Shankar Ex. 2.7.1 Show that
(i)
{w, } = {, w}
{w, } =

i
_
w
q
i

p
i

w
p
i

q
i
_
=

i
_

q
i
w
p
i

p
i
w
q
i
_
= {, w}
(ii)
{w, +} = {w, } + {w, }
{w, +} =

i
_
w
q
i
( +)
p
i

w
p
i
( +)
q
i
_
=

i
_
w
q
i

p
i
+
w
q
i

p
i

w
p
i

q
i

w
p
i

q
i
_
=

i
_
w
q
i

p
i

w
p
i

q
i
_
+

i
_
w
q
i

p
i

w
p
i

q
i
_
= {w, } + {w, }
4
(iii)
{w, } = {w, } +{w, }
{w, } =

i
_
w
q
i
()
p
i

w
p
i
()
q
i
_
=

i
_
w
q
i
_

p
i
+

p
i

w
p
i
_

p
i
+

p
i

__
=

i
_
w
q
i

p
i

w
p
i

q
i
_
+

i
_
w
q
i

p
i

w
p
i

q
i
_

= {w, } + {w, }
b) For a 2D system with H = p
2
x
+p
2
y
+a(x
2
+y
2
), show that xp
y
yp
x
is a constant
of the motion by explicitly computing its Poisson bracket with H.
Just for simplicity, lets call Q = xp
y
yp
x
. Then, the Poisson bracket is:
{Q, H} =
Q
x
H
p
x

Q
p
x
H
x
+
Q
y
H
p
y

Q
p
y
H
y
= p
y
(2p
x
) +y(2ax) p
x
(2p
y
) x(2ay) = 0
As {Q, H} = 0, therefore xp
y
yp
x
is a constant of the motion.
3) The classical Hamiltonian for a particle in an electromagnetic eld is given by Shankar
Eq. (2.6.2):
H =
1
2m
(p
q
c
A(r, t))
2
+q(r, t)
Applying Hamiltons equations of motions, obtain expressions for r and p.
p =
H
r
=
_

q
2c
A
r
_
p
q
c
A
_
+q

r
_
=
q
2c
A
r
_
p
q
c
A
_
q

r
r =
H
p
=
1
m
_
p
q
c
A
_
4) Consider two operators whose matrix representations in a 3D vector space are
A =
_
_
1 0 0
0 1 0
0 0 2
_
_
, B =
_
_
1 0 0
0 0 3
0 3 0
_
_
a) The system is initially in state | =
1

2
|1 +
1

2
|2. If A were to be measured,
what would be the possible allowed values(s) of a and their probabilities?. If B
were to be measured, what would be the possible allowed value(s) of b and their
probabilities?
Lets start with the operator A. If A were to be measured, we have a probability
to found one of the eigenvalues of this operator. Therefore, the eigenvalues of
this matrix are:
det(AaI) =

1 a 0 0
0 1 a 0
0 0 2 a

= 0
5
(1 a)
2
(2 a) = 0 a = 2, 1
With this eigenvalues, we calculate the eigenvectors using A|a = a|a. Then,
the normalized eigenvectors are: |a
(2)
= |3 and |a
(1)
=
1

2
|1 +
1

2
|2. Now,
the probability of each eigenvalue is:
a
(1)
| =
_
1

2
1

2
0
_
_
_
_
1

2
1

2
0
_
_
_ = 1
a
(2)
| =
_
0 0 1
_
_
_
_
1

2
1

2
0
_
_
_ = 0
P(a
(1)
) = |a
(1)
||
2
= |a
(1)
a
(1)
| = 1
P(a
(2)
) = |a
(1)
||
2
= 0
That makes sense because the system is already in such state with a = 1.
For the case of the operator B, lets repeat the same procedure:
det(B bI) =

1 b 0 0
0 b 3
0 3 b

= 0
(1 b)b
2
9(1 b) = b
3
b
2
9b 9 = 0 b = 1, 3, 3
where the eigenvectors are: |b
(1)
= |1, |b
(3)
=
1

2
(|2 + |3) and |b
(3)
=
1

2
(|2 + |3).
P(b
(1)
) = |b
(1)
||
2
= |b
(1)
b
(1)
| =
_
1

2
__
1

2
_
=
1
2
P(b
(3)
) = |b
(3)
||
2
=
_
1
2
__
1
2
_
=
1
4
P(b
(3)
) = |b
(3)
||
2
=
_
1
2
__
1
2
_
=
1
4
b) Compute the expectation value |B| for the same state | in two ways: (i)
from the probabilities computed in part (a); and (ii) directly from the matrix-
vector product |B|.
(i)
A =

i
P(a
i
)a
i
= P(a
(1)
)a
(1)
+P(a
(2)
)a
(2)
= 0 + 1(1) = 1
B =

i
P(b
i
)b
i
=
1
2
(1) +
1
4
(3) +
1
4
(3) =
1
2
6
(ii)
|A| =
_
1

2
1

2
0
_
_
_
1 0 0
0 1 0
0 0 2
_
_
_
_
_
1

2
1

2
0
_
_
_ =
_
1

2
1

2
0
_
_
_
_

2
0
_
_
_ = 1
|B| =
_
1

2
1

2
0
_
_
_
1 0 0
0 0 3
0 3 0
_
_
_
_
_
1

2
1

2
0
_
_
_ =
_
1

2
1

2
0
_
_
_
_
1

2
0
3

2
_
_
_ =
1
2
c) As a result of the measurement of B the system is found to have b = 3. What is
the new state of the system?. In this state, what are the allowed value(s) of A
and their probabilities?
If we found the measurement of B is equals to 3, the new state of the system
will be: | =
1

2
(|2 + |3). In this state the allowed values of A are the same:
a = 1, 2. Then, the probabilities of this values are:
P(a
(1)
) = |P(a
(1)
)| =
1
2
(2| + 3|)(|11| + |22|)(|2 + |3) =
1
2
P(a
(2)
) = |P(a
(2)
)| =
1
2
(2| + 3|)(|33|)(|2 + |3) =
1
2
d) In the context of part (c), A is found to have value a = 1. What is now the new
state of the system?
We have to calculate the projection of this value in the new state:
P(a
(1)
)| = (|11| + |22|)
_
1

2
(|2 + |3)
_
=
1

2
|2
e) In general, if A is measured and found to have value a = 1 when the system
is in an unknown initial state, is the nal state of the system known after the
measurement?.
No, because if we only know the value of a, the only thing that we can guess is
the projection operator. As we dont know the initial state we cannot determine
the nal state.
f ) Find a state of the system that is a denite state of both observables A and B.
From the matrix representation of the operators, the only denite state of both
observables is: |1 =
_
_
1
0
0
_
_
7