Assignment 2
Assignment 2
1. A container of volume V is homogeneously filled with N particles of a gas in equilibrium. Divide the
container into two hypothetical regions with volume V1 and V2 , N1 and N2 denoting the number of
particles in region 1 and region 2 respectively. As was derived in class, the total number of microstates
of the system is given by
XN
Ωtot (N, V ) = N
CN1 V1N1 V2N2
N1 =0
(a) Calculate the probability pk that there are exactly k particles in the fictitious volume V1 and
N − k particles in the volume V2 .
(b) Find the average number of particles in the volume V1 .
2. A classical system is described by a Hamiltonian H(q, q̇) which has no explicit dependence on time,
and a potential V (q) which is not velocity-dependent. For such a system, show that the numerical
value of the Hamiltonian is a constant of motion and that it denotes the total energy present in the
system.
p2 mω 2 x2
H= +
2m 2
Define the ladder operator as:
1
â = √ (p̂ − ix̂)
2
(a) Show that [â, ↠] = 1.
(b) Show that [â↠, H] = 0.
(c) Show that if |ni is an eigenstate of N̂ = ↠â with eigenvalue n:
N̂ |ni = n|ni
then ↠|ni and â|ni are also eigenstates of N̂ with eigenvalues n + 1 and n − 1, respectively.
(d) Define |0i such that a|0i = |0i. What is the energy eigenvalue of |0i?
4. At t = 0, the wavefunction of the quantum simple harmonic oscillator system (of the previous question)
is given by r r
1 2
Ψ(x, 0) = Ψ0 (x) + Ψ2 (x)
3 3
(a) Find the time evolution of the wavefunction. (Ψ(x, t) for t ≥ 0)
(b) Calculate the expectation value of the Hamiltonian hΨ|H|Ψi. Is it time dependent?