Gasiorowicz 3rd edition April 14, 2008

P7-1.

Consider the molecule CN, which may be described by a dumbbell consisting of two
masses M1 and M2 attached by a rigid rod of length a. The dumbbell rotates in a plane
about an axis going through the center of mass and perpendicular to it.
(a) Write down the Hamiltonian that describes the motion.
(b) What is the energy spectrum?
(c) Write down an expression for the difference in energy between the ground state and
the first excited state in terms of the masses and a.

Solution:
(a)

If x is the distance of the center of mass from M 1 :

M 1 x = M 2 (a − x ) ⇒ x( M 1 + M 2 ) = M 2 a
M 2a
⇒x =
M1 + M 2
∴ Moment of intertia = I = M 1 x 2 + M 2 (a − x ) 2
2 2
⎛ M 2a ⎞ ⎛ M 2a ⎞
= M 1 ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ + M 2 ⎜⎜ a − ⎟⎟
⎝ M1 + M 2 ⎠ ⎝ M1 + M 2 ⎠
2 2
⎛ M 2a ⎞ ⎛ M 1a ⎞
= M 1 ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ + M 2 ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟
⎝ M1 + M 2 ⎠ ⎝ M1 + M 2 ⎠
M 1M 2 a 2 + M 1 M 2 a 2
2 2

=
(M 1 + M 2 ) 2
M 1 M 2 ( M 1 + M 2 )a 2
=
(M 1 + M 2 ) 2
M 1M 2 a 2
=
(M 1 + M 2 )
M 1M 2
= µa 2 where µ is the reduced mass, µ =
M1 + M 2
L2 M 1M 2 2
∴H = where I = a and L is the angular momentum.
2I M1 + M 2
(b)

L2
Since H = , so [H, L2 ] = 0.
2I
L ψ = l(l + 1)h 2
2

l(l + 1)h 2 l(l + 1)h 2 (M 1 + M 2 )l(l + 1)h 2

∴E = = = l = 0,1,2,.....
2I ⎛ M1M 2 ⎞ 2 2M 1 M 2 a 2
⎜
2⎜ ⎟
⎟a
⎝ M1 + M 2 ⎠

(c)

( M 1 + M 2 ) ⋅ 0 ⋅ (0 + 1)h 2
E0 = =0
2M 1 M 2 a 2
( M 1 + M 2 ) ⋅ 1 ⋅ (1 + 1)h 2 2( M 1 + M 2 )h 2 ( M 1 + M 2 )h 2
E1 = = =
2M 1 M 2 a 2 2M 1 M 2 a 2 M 1M 2 a 2
( M 1 + M 2 )h 2
∴ E1 − E 0 =
M1M 2 a 2