Quantum mechanics

(Theoretical Physics 3) Exercise sheet No. 12

Date of issue: 29 June 2023
Summer semester 2023
Date of submission: 7 July 2023
Antonio Vairo / Julian Mayer-Steudte
Physics Department
Technical University of Munich

Problem 12.1: Short-range potential (5 points)

In the lecture it was shown that the Schrödinger equation for a radially symmetric potential,
V (r), can be brought in the following form using a separation ansatz:

ℏ2 d2 ℏ2 ℓ(ℓ + 1)
 
− + V (r) + uE,ℓ (r) = EuE,ℓ (r) , (1)
2m dr2 2mr2
where uE,ℓ (r) = rRE,ℓ (r) is the reduced radial wavefunction. The problem of determining
the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions is thus identical to a one-dimensional problem with an
effective potential: 
ℏ2 ℓ(ℓ + 1)
V (r) + , für r > 0 ,

Vℓeff (r) = 2mr2 (2)
∞ , für r ≤ 0 ,
where the second term in the first line is the centrifugal barrier, which is determined by the
eigenvalue, ℏ2 ℓ(ℓ + 1), of the angular momentum operator, L2 .
Now, let V (r) be a short-range potential, i.e., lim V (r) = 0 (and thus also lim Vℓeff (r) = 0).
r→∞ r→∞
In this case, the solution for E > 0 and r → ∞ behaves like a free particle, and one can
state the following asymptotic behaviour:
r→∞
uE,ℓ (r) −−−→ Cℓ (p) e+ipr/ℏ + Dℓ (p) e−ipr/ℏ , (3)
√
where p = 2mE/ℏ. The coefficients Cℓ (p) and Dℓ (p) are not independet of one another,
which is to be shown here. To this end, calculate
Z r
dr′ (u∗E ′ ℓ (r′ ) u′′Eℓ (r′ ) − u′′E∗′ ℓ (r′ ) uEℓ (r′ )) , (4)
0

once directly and once by plugging in the Schrödinger equation. Now consider the limit
r → ∞ and distinguish the cases E ′ = E and E ′ ̸= E. What conditions do you get for Cℓ (p)
and Dℓ (p)?
Which asymptotic behavior does the reduced wavefunction show in the case E > 0?
Hint: Use the modified representation of the delta function:

sin(xL + φ(x))
δ(x) = lim with φ(0) = 0 . (5)
L→∞ πx

1
Problem 12.2: Size of the Hydrogten Atom (11 points)
From the lecture or literature, you are familiar with the wavefunctions, ψnlm (⃗r), which de-
scribe the hydrogen atom when it is in an eigenstate of the corresponding Hamiltonian. As
usual, n denotes the principal quantum number, l the angular momentum quantum number
and m the magnetic quantum number.

a) With this, calculate the expectation value of the distance, r, between the proton and
the electron with given n und l = n − 1.

b) What is the probability, dPnl , of finding an electron in the distance interval, [r, r + dr]
for arbitrary angles θ, φ? Calculate the probability density, wnl (r) = dPdrnl , and plot it
for the three cases n = 1, 2, 3 and l = n − 1.

c) Where are the maxima of wnl (r) for any n and l = n − 1?

d) Compare the results of a) and c) for the radii rn = n2 a from the Bohr atomic model
(a is the Bohr radius).

e) Now, let us consider instead a bound system between a positron and an electron (“po-
sitronium”). The only thing that changes in the calculation is that we need to exchange
the proton mass, mp , for the positron mass (= electron mass), me . How do the expec-
tation values of this system, ⟨r⟩nl , behave compared to the hydrogen atom? Which one
is larger, the hydrogen atom or the positronium?