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    QM2 HM2

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    jog1
    This document contains a homework assignment on symmetries with four problems: 1. Verify that reflection in a mirror plane is the same as parity followed by a 180° rotation. Noninvariance under mirror reflection implies noninvariance under parity. 2. Determine which of the following operator pairs commute: (a) translations in different directions, (b) rotations about different axes, (c) translation and parity, (d) rotation and parity. 3. Express the spin angular function of a spin-1/2 particle bound by a spherically symmetric potential in terms of other functions and explain the result based on transformation properties. 4. A parity-violating potential mixes atomic eigenstates

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    QM2 HM2

    Uploaded by

    jog1
    43 views2 pages
    This document contains a homework assignment on symmetries with four problems: 1. Verify that reflection in a mirror plane is the same as parity followed by a 180° rotation. Noninvariance under mirror reflection implies noninvariance under parity. 2. Determine which of the following operator pairs commute: (a) translations in different directions, (b) rotations about different axes, (c) translation and parity, (d) rotation and parity. 3. Express the spin angular function of a spin-1/2 particle bound by a spherically symmetric potential in terms of other functions and explain the result based on transformation properties. 4. A parity-violating potential mixes atomic eigenstates

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    QM2-HM2

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    This document contains a homework assignment on symmetries with four problems: 1. Verify that reflection in a mirror plane is the same as parity followed by a 180° rotation. Noninvariance under mirror reflection implies noninvariance under parity. 2. Determine which of the following operator pairs commute: (a) translations in different directions, (b) rotations about different axes, (c) translation and parity, (d) rotation and parity. 3. Express the spin angular function of a spin-1/2 particle bound by a spherically symmetric potential in terms of other functions and explain the result based on transformation properties. 4. A parity-violating potential mixes atomic eigenstates

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    43 views2 pages

    QM2 HM2

    Uploaded by

    jog1
    This document contains a homework assignment on symmetries with four problems: 1. Verify that reflection in a mirror plane is the same as parity followed by a 180° rotation. Noninvariance under mirror reflection implies noninvariance under parity. 2. Determine which of the following operator pairs commute: (a) translations in different directions, (b) rotations about different axes, (c) translation and parity, (d) rotation and parity. 3. Express the spin angular function of a spin-1/2 particle bound by a spherically symmetric potential in terms of other functions and explain the result based on transformation properties. 4. A parity-violating potential mixes atomic eigenstates

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    of 2

    Homework Set 2 — Symmetries 1

    Due Apriil 11, 2021

    1. Parity is often treated as a mirror reflection. This is certainly true in 1 dimension, where
    x → −x may be viewed as the effect of reflecting through a (point) mirror at the origin. In
    three dimensions when we use a plane mirror (say lying on the x − y plane), only one (z)
    coordinate gets reversed, whereas the parity transformation reverses all three coordinates.
    Verify that reflection in a mirror in the x − y plane is the same as parity followed by a π
    (180◦ ) rotation about the z axis. Since rotational invariance holds for weak interactions,
    noninvariance under mirror reflection implies noninvariance under parity.

    2. Let Td denote the translation operator (with displacement vector d); D(n̂, φ) the rotation
    operator (n̂ and φ are the axis and angle of rotation, respectively); and π the parity operator.
    Which, if any, of the following pairs commute? Why?

    (a) Td and Td0 (with d and d’ in different directions)


    (b) D(n̂, φ) and D(n̂0 , φ) (n̂ and n̂0 in different directions)
    (c) Td and π
    (d) D(n̂, φ) and π
    1
    3. A spin 2
    particle is bound to a fixed center by a spherically symmetric potential.
    j=1/2,m=1/2
    (a) Write down the spin angular function Yl=0 (see, e.g., Sakurai Chapter 3)
    j=1/2,m=1/2
    (b) Express (σ · x)Yl=0 in terms of some other Ylj,m .
    (c) Show that your result in 3b is understandable in view of the transformation properties
    of the operator S · x under rotations and under space inversion (parity)

    1
    4. Because of weak (neutral-current) interactions there is a parity-violating potential between
    the atomic electron and the nucleus as follows:

    V = λ δ (3) (x)S · p + S · pδ (3) (x) ,


     
    (1)

    where S and p are the spin and momentum operators of the electron, and the nucleus is
    assumed to be situated at the origin. As a result, the ground state of an alkali atom, usually
    characterized by |n, l, j, mi actually contains very tiny contributions from other eigenstates
    as follows:
    X
    |n, l, j, mi → |n, l, j, mi + Cn0 l0 j 0 m0 |n0 , l0 , j 0 , m0 i. (2)
    n0 l0 j 0 m0

    On the basis of symmetry considerations alone, what can you say about (n0 , l0 , j 0 , m0 ), which
    give rise to nonvanishing contributions? Suppose the radial wave functions and the energy
    levels are all known. Indicate how you may calculate Cn0 l0 j 0 m0 . Do we get further restrictions
    on (n0 , l0 , j 0 , m0 )?

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