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Physics 235: Problem Set 3

1. Perturbation theory can be simplified for degenerate energy states if there exists an observable that commutes with both the unperturbed and perturbed Hamiltonians. For the hydrogen atom, relativistic corrections proportional to p^4 and spin-orbit interaction can be treated as perturbations. 2. The spin-orbit interaction arises from the electron's spin interacting with the magnetic field due to the proton's motion, and would still exist for other central potentials. It commutes with operators like L_z, S_z, L^2, S^2, and J^2,J_z. 3. For the harmonic oscillator, relativistic corrections would have a different form than for hydrogen. A

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65 views

Physics 235: Problem Set 3

1. Perturbation theory can be simplified for degenerate energy states if there exists an observable that commutes with both the unperturbed and perturbed Hamiltonians. For the hydrogen atom, relativistic corrections proportional to p^4 and spin-orbit interaction can be treated as perturbations. 2. The spin-orbit interaction arises from the electron's spin interacting with the magnetic field due to the proton's motion, and would still exist for other central potentials. It commutes with operators like L_z, S_z, L^2, S^2, and J^2,J_z. 3. For the harmonic oscillator, relativistic corrections would have a different form than for hydrogen. A

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Andrew Jaffe
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Physics 235 : Problem Set 3

Carlos Wagner, Spring 2015


Due Friday, October 30, 12:30 p.m.

1. In class, we analyzed the question of perturbations in the case of degeneracy of energy


states. It was shown that it could be simplified if one can find eigenstates of a different observable, associated with an hermitian operator, that commutes with the perturbed an unperturbed
Hamiltonians. In such a case, the simplification is associated with the fact that the unperturbed
states are the simultaneous eigenstates of the Hamiltonian and of this operator, since the offdiagonal matrix elements of the Hamiltonian vanish. Namely, taking the N degenerate states
ni , such that
H (0) ni = En(0) ni

(1)

and
O ni = Oi ni
Z

H (1) nj = 0
d3 x ni

(2)

when i 6= j. Then,
(1)

Eni =

d3 x ni
H (1) ni

(3)

a. Confirm that this is indeed the case. Hint : We did this in class and it is shown in Griffiths,
for instance.
b. Take the case of the Hydrogen atom. What is the degeneracy and what are the quantum
numbers of the degenerate states ? Include spin in your considerations.
c. Now, consider the relativistic corrections proportional to p~4 that we discuss in class. Taking
into account the answer to b., what operators can you find that commute with both the Hydrogen atom Hamiltonian and with the perturbation ?
d. Will the set of operators change if we consider higher powers of p~2 ? Justify your answer.
e. Is the degeneracy preserved after including the perturbations ? What is the remaining degeneracy ?
f. Would this answers change if we consider the motion of an electron in an arbitrary central
potential ? What could change, if anything ? Justify your answer. Hint : Compare for instance
the Hydrogen atom case with the one of the spherically symmetric harmonic oscillator.

2. Consider now the additional relativistic corrections, the so-called Spin-Orbit interaction,
~ S.
~
which are proportional to the inner product of the Spin and angular momentum operators, L
a. In the way it is usually presented in introductory Quantum Mechanics books, in the Hydrogen atom it proceeds from the interaction of the spin with the magnetic field generated by
the motion of the proton in the rest frame of the electron. Do you think this is a valid explanation
for its existence ? Justify your answer.
b. Imagine that the electron is moving in a different central potential, for instance a gravitational
one, do you think the Spin-Orbit interaction will still exist ? Hint for questions a. and b. : Since
you have no obvious way of knowing the answer to these questions, I am asking you to try to
find out the answer by looking in the existing literature.
c. What would be a good set of operators, that commute with the Hydrogen atom Hamiltonian
~ 2, S
~2
and with this perturbation ? Hint : Are Lz and Sz compatible with H (1) ? What about L
and the total angular momentum J 2 and Jz = Lz + Sz ?
d. Is the degeneracy preserved after including the perturbations ? What is the remaining degeneracy ?
e. Now consider the combination of the perturbations proportional to p~4 and the one propor~ S.
~ What would be a good set of observables to define the perturbation theory in
tional to L
the Hydrogen atom case ?
f. Would the answer to e. change if instead of the Hydrogen atom we take the motion of an
electron in an arbitrary central potential ? Justify your answer.
3. Consider now different potentials and the applicability of perturbation theory.
a.

In the case of the spherically symmetric harmonic oscillator, what would be the form

of the relativistic corrections compared to the ones present in the Hydrogen atom ? Based on
the answer to questions 1. and 2., what is the degeneracy in this case and how would you expect
it to be lifted ? Justify your answer.
b. What about a small and constant electric field ? Could that be consider as a small perturbation to the free Hamiltonian ? Would the answer depend on the extension in space of this
constant electric field ? Hint : Think about the analogous classical case and also the associated
potential.
c. What would be a good set of observables in this case and what kind of degeneracy would you
say there is in the free motion of the electron ? Hint : Think about the analogous classical case.
d. For reasons we will discuss in class, the interaction of a magnetic field with the electron in

~ (L
~ + 2S).
~ What
the Hydrogen atom is (approximately) proportional to the inner product B
would be a good set of quantum numbers in this case, if we consider a magnetic field pointing in
the z direction ? Hint : Think about the case in which you ignore the fine structure corrections
and the more complicated case in which you dont.
e. Consider a Unitary operator, defining some transformation of the Hamiltonian, namely U HU .
Now, imagine that U = exp(iTa a ) with Ta some hermitan operators and a a continuous variable
that can take small values. Considering a Hamiltonian that is invariant under such a transformation and a small value of a , demonstrate that
U HU = H [H, Ta ] = 0.

(4)

Therefore, the commutation relation of the Hamiltonian with different hermitian operators is
usually associated with an invariance of H under some symmetry transformation.
f. Consider the case of Hydrogen atom. What are the symmetries you can define and what are
the associated hermitian operators, if any ?

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