Physics 710 March 12, 2010

Problem Set 15

Problem 12.6.1: ψE = Ae−r/a0 .

(1) No (θ, φ)-dependence implies ψE ∝ Y00 , so we must have ` = 0 and m = 0.
(2) Therefore ψE = RE,`=0 = 1r UE,0 which satisfies eqn. (12.6.5) with ` = 0:
2µ
(rψE )00 + [E − V (r)](rψE ) = 0. (1)
~2
As r → ∞, V (r) → 0, which implies in this limit (rψE )0 = A(1 − ar0 )e−r/a0 ≈
−(A/a0 )re−r/a0 , so (rψE )00 ≈ (A/a20 )re−r/a0 . Therefore, eqn. (1) reads in this
limit
A −r/a0 2µE
2
re = − 2 Are−r/a0 ,
a0 ~
from which it follows that
~2
E=− .
2µa20
(3) Now plug E into (1) and use (rψE )00 = A(− a20 + ar2 )e−r/a0 to get
0

~2
   
2 r −r/a0 2µ
A − + 2 e + 2 − − V (r) Are−r/a0 = 0,
a0 a0 ~ 2µa20
which gives
~2
V (r) = − .
µa0 r

Problem 12.6.4:
(1) δ 3 (r − r0 ) is defined by the property that d3 rδ 3 (r − r0 )f (r) = f (r0 ). So simply
R

check:
Z
1
r2 dr sin θdθdφ 2 δ(r − r0 )δ(θ − θ0 )δ(φ − φ0 )f (r, θ, φ)
r sin θ
Z
= drdθdφδ(r − r0 )δ(θ − θ0 )δ(φ − φ0 )f (r, θ, φ) = f (r0 , θ0 , φ0 ).

∂
(2) If r 6= 0 then ∇2 ( 1r ) = r12 ∂r ∂ 1
(r2 ∂r ∂
( r ))+(angular parts) = r12 ∂r (r2 ( −1
r2
)) = r12 ∂r
∂
(−1) =
0. When r = 0 the above calculation breaks down since terms are singu-
lar
R 3there. So consider an Rarbitrary R continuous function f (r) and the integral

d x∇2 ( 1r )f (r) = lim→0 0 r2 dr dΩ∇2 ( 1r )f (r), since ∇2 ( 1r ) = 0 for r > 0.
Then, integrating by parts we get
Z   Z  Z        1 
3 2 1 2 ~ ~ 1 ~ ~
d x∇ f (r) = lim r dr dΩ ∇· f (r)∇ − ∇f (r) ·∇ .
r →0 0 r r
 ~ = rb ∂ + θb1 ∂ + φb 1 ∂ , implying
Now recall that in spherical coordinates ∇ ∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ
~
that ∇(1/r) = rb ∂ (1/r) = −b
r/r2 , so
∂r
Z   Z  Z      1
3 2 1 2 ~ −b f ~
d x∇ f = lim r dr dΩ ∇· r 2 + rb·∇f .
r →0 0 r r2

~ = (∂f /∂r)|r=0 =
The second term on the right side vanishes, because as  → 0, rb·∇f
const., so:
Z  Z  1 Z  Z
2

~ 2 1
lim r dr dΩ rb·∇f 2 = const.· lim r dr dΩ 2 = const.· lim 4π = 0.
→0 0 r →0 0 r →0

Therefore,
Z   Z  Z   Z  
3 2 1 2 ~ −b f 2 f 
d x∇ f = lim r dr dΩ∇· r 2 = lim dΩr rb· −b r 2 
r →0 0 r →0 r r=
Z Z 
= − lim dΩ f |r= = −f (0) lim dΩ = −f (0) lim 4π
→0 →0 →0

= −4πf (0).

~ g =
R 3
In
R the second step I used the divergence theorem which states R
d x∇·~
2
∂R
b·~g where R is any region, ∂R is its boundary, n
d an b is the normal unit vector
2
to ∂R (pointing out of R) and d a is the surface area element. In our case
R = {r < }, d2 a = dΩ, n b = rb, and ~g = −b rR(f /r2 ). Thus we have shown that
∇2 (1/r) = 0 for r 6= 0 and for any f (~r) that d3 x∇2 (1/r)f = −4πf (0). This is
the definition of the delta function, so
 
2 1
∇ = −4πδ 3 (r).
r

Problem 12.6.9: Since ` = 0, ψ = R(r)Y00 (θ, φ) = R(r). So the radial equation

becomes, with ψ(r) = (1/r)U (r),
 2  r
d 2 2µ(E + V0 )
+ k Uin = 0 r ≤ r0 , k ≡ ,
dr2 ~2
 2  r
d −2µE
2
− κ2 Uout = 0 r ≥ r0 , κ≡ ,
dr ~2

where k and κ are defined to be the positive root. The solutions of these equations are

Uin = A sin kr + A
e cos kr,
Uout = Be−κr + Bee +κr .
 The boundary conditions are that Uin → 0 at r = 0, implying A
e = 0, and Uout → 0
at r = ∞, implying that B = 0. The matching conditions at r = r0 are the continuity
e
of ψ and its first derivative:

ψin = ψout ⇒ Uin = Uout |r=r0 , (2)

0 0
ψin = ψout ⇒ (Uin /r)0 = (Uout /r)0 |r=r0 . (3)

Eqn. (2) implies A sin kr0 = Be−κr0 , or,

B = A sin kr0 eκr0 . (4)

Eqn. (3) implies d

dr
[(A/r) sin kr − (B/r)e−κr ]r=r0 = 0, which gives

A Ak B Bκ −κr0
− 2
sin kr0 + cos kr0 + 2 e−κr0 + e = 0.
r0 r0 r0 r0

Plugging (4) into this gives (Ak/r0 ) cos kr0 + (Aκ/r0 ) sin kr0 = 0, or

k
− tan kr0 = , (5)
κ
which is what we wanted to show.
If V0 < π 2 ~2 /(8µr02 ) and −V0 < E < 0 (for a bound state), then k 2 = 2µ
~2
(E + V0 ) <
2µ 2 2 2 2 2
~2
π ~ /(8µr0 ) = π /(4r0 ). Thus 0 < kr0 < (π/2), which implies that − tan kr0 < 0.
On the other hand, by definition, k/κ > 0. So there is no solution to eqn. (5).