CHAPTER 2.

THE TIME-INDEPENDENT SCHRODINGER

EQUATION

14

Chapter 2

Time-Independent Schr
odinger
Equation
Problem 2.1
(a)
(x, t) = (x)ei(E0 +i)t/
= (x)et/
eiE0 t/
= ||2 = ||2 e2t/
.



|(x, t)| dx = e
2

2t/

||2 dx.

The second term is independent of t, so if the product is to be 1 for all time, the rst term (e2t/
) must
also be constant, and hence = 0. QED
2

(b) If satises Eq. 2.5, 2m
dx2 + V = E, then (taking the complex conjugate and noting that V and
2

E are real): 2m
dx2 + V = E , so also satises Eq. 2.5. Now, if 1 and 2 satisfy Eq. 2.5, so
too does any linear combination of them (3 c1 1 + c2 2 ):



2 2 3
2 1
2 2

2

+ V (c1 1 + c2 2 )
c
+
V

+
c
3
1
2
2m dx2
2m
dx2
x2





2 d 2 1

2 d 2 2
= c1
+ V 1 + c2
+ V 2
2m dx2
2m dx2
2

= c1 (E1 ) + c2 (E2 ) = E(c1 1 + c2 2 ) = E3 .

Thus, ( + ) and i( ) both of which are real satisfy Eq. 2.5. Conclusion: From any complex
solution, we can always construct two real solutions (of course, if is already real, the second one will be
zero). In particular, since = 12 [( + ) i(i( ))], can be expressed as a linear combination of
two real solutions. QED
(c) If (x) satises Eq. 2.5, then, changing variables x x and noting that 2 /(x)2 = 2 /x2 ,

2 2 (x)
+ V (x)(x) = E(x);
2m dx2

so if V (x) = V (x) then (x) also satises Eq. 2.5. It follows that + (x) (x) + (x) (which is
even: + (x) = + (x)) and (x) (x) (x) (which is odd: (x) = (x)) both satisfy Eq.
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CHAPTER 2. THE TIME-INDEPENDENT SCHRODINGER
EQUATION

15

2.5. But (x) = 12 (+ (x) + (x)), so any solution can be expressed as a linear combination of even and
odd solutions. QED

Problem 2.2
2

Given ddx2 = 2m

2 [V (x) E], if E < Vmin , then and always have the same sign: If is positive(negative),

then is also positive(negative). This means that always curves away from the axis (see Figure). However,
it has got to go to zero as x (else it would not be normalizable). At some point its got to depart from
zero (if it doesnt, its going to be identically zero everywhere), in (say) the positive direction. At this point its
slope is positive, and increasing, so gets bigger and bigger as x increases. It cant ever turn over and head
back toward the axis, because that would requuire a negative second derivativeit always has to bend away
from the axis. By the same token, if it starts out heading negative, it just runs more and more negative. In
neither case is there any way for it to come back to zero, as it must (at x ) in order to be normalizable.
QED

Problem 2.3
2

2
2
Equation 2.20 says ddx2 = 2mE
= A + Bx;

2 ; Eq. 2.23 says (0) = (a) = 0. If E = 0, d /dx = 0, so (x)
2
2
2
(0) = A = 0 = Bx; (a) = Ba = 0 B = 0, so = 0. If E < 0, d /dx = , with 2mE/

x
x
real, so (x)
. This time (0) = A + B = 0 B = A, so = A(ex ex ), while
a= Ae

+ Be
ia
(a) = A e e
= 0 either A = 0, so = 0, or else ea = ea , so e2a = 1, so 2a = ln(1) = 0,
so = 0, and again = 0. In all cases, then, the boundary conditions force = 0, which is unacceptable
(non-normalizable).

Problem 2.4

 n 
n
a
2 a
x dx.
Let y
x, so dx =
dy;
x||2 dx =
x sin2
a 0
a
a
n
n
 2

2  a 2 n
2a
y sin 2y cos 2y 
y
=
y sin2 y dy = 2 2


a n
n
4
4
8
0
0
 2 2

a
2a n
cos 2n 1
= 2 2

+
= . (Independent of n.)
n
4
8
8
2


x =

y : 0 n.

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CHAPTER 2. THE TIME-INDEPENDENT SCHRODINGER
EQUATION

16



2 a 2 2  n 
2  a 3 n 2 2
x sin
y sin y dy
x dx =
a 0
a
a n
0

 3

n
2a2 y 3
y
1
y cos 2y
=

sin 2y
(n)3 6
4
8
4
0




2
3
(n)
2a
n cos(2n)
1
2 1
.
=

= a

(n)3
6
4
3 2(n)2

x2  =

p = m

d
x
= 0.
dt

(Note : Eq. 1.33 is much faster than Eq. 1.35.)

 2 
2


d
d n
2

p  =
n
dx
n dx =

i dx
dx2



2
n

2mEn
= (
2 ) 2
n n dx = 2mEn =
.


a



x2

=
x 
x = a
2

1
1
1

2
3 2(n)
4
2

a2
=
4

1
2

3 (n)2

x p =
2


;

a
x =
2

1
2

.
3 (n)2

(n)2
2.
3

2
The product x p is smallest for n = 1; in that case, x p =
2 3 2 = (1.136)
/2 >
/2.

p2

=
p 
p =
2

n

a

n

.
p =
a

Problem 2.5
(a)
||2 = 2 = |A|2 (1 + 2 )(1 + 2 ) = |A|2 [1 1 + 1 2 + 2 1 + 2 2 ].

1=


|| dx = |A|
2

[|1 |2 + 1 2 + 2 1 + |2 |2 ]dx = 2|A|2 A = 1/ 2.

(b)

1 
(x, t) = 1 eiE1 t/
+ 2 eiE2 t/

2
1
=
2

(but

En
= n2 )

   




  



2
2
1
sin
x eit + sin
x ei4t = eit sin
x + sin
x e3it .
a
a
a
a
a
a






 
 

3it
2
1
2
2
2
3it
|(x, t)| =
+e
+ sin
sin
x + sin
x sin
x e
x
a
a
a
a
a






 
 
2
1
2
2
2
=
sin
x + sin
x + 2 sin
x sin
x cos(3t) .
a
a
a
a
a
2

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CHAPTER 2. THE TIME-INDEPENDENT SCHRODINGER
EQUATION

17

(c)


x =

x|(x, t)|2 dx







 
 
2
1 a
2
2
2
=
x sin
x + sin
x + 2 sin
x sin
x cos(3t) dx
a 0
a
a
a
a

 
x dx =
x sin2
a

2
a


 a
x
x sin 2
cos
x2
2
a2

2
a
a x

=
x dx.
x sin
 =
4
4/a
8(/a)2 
4
a
0
0







 
 
2
1 a
3
x sin
x cos
x sin
x dx =
x cos
x dx
a
a
2 0
a
a





 a
  ax
 
1 a2
3
a2
ax
3
=
cos
x +
sin
x 2 cos
x
sin
x
2 2
a

a
9
a
3
a
0






1
a2
a2
8a2
1 a2
1

cos()

cos(0)

cos(3)

cos(0)
=

= 2.
2
2
2
2
9

9
9

x =



1 a2
a
a2
16a2
32
cos(3t)
=
cos(3t)
.
+

a 4
4
9 2
2
9 2

32  a 
= 0.3603(a/2);
9 2 2

Amplitude:

angular frequency: 3 =

3 2

.
2ma2

(d)
 a   32 
d
x
8


p = m
=m
2 (3) sin(3t) =
sin(3t).
dt
2
9
3a
(e) You could get either E1 = 2
2 /2ma2 or E2 = 2 2
2 /ma2 , with equal probability P1 = P2 = 1/2.
So
H =

1
5 2
2
;
(E1 + E2 ) =
2
4ma2

its the average of E1 and E2 .

Problem 2.6
From Problem 2.5, we see that
(x, t) =

1 eit
a

|(x, t)|2 =

1
a

3it i 


e ;
sin a x + sin 2
a x e


 2

sin a x + sin2 2
a x + 2 sin a x sin a x cos(3t ) ;

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CHAPTER 2. THE TIME-INDEPENDENT SCHRODINGER
EQUATION

18
and hence
x =

a
2


1

32
9 2


cos(3t ) . This amounts physically to starting the clock at a dierent time

(i.e., shifting the t = 0 point).

If =

a
, so (x, 0) = A[1 (x) + i2 (x)], then cos(3t ) = sin(3t);
x starts at .
2
2

If = , so (x, 0) = A[1 (x) 2 (x)], then cos(3t ) = cos(3t);
x starts at



a
32
1+ 2 .
2
9

Problem 2.7
(x,0)
Aa/2

a/2

(a)

1=A

a/2

x dx + A
0

A2
3

a3
a3
+
8
8

(a x) dx = A
2

a/2


=

A2 a3
2 3
A= .
12
a3

a/2
a
x3 
(a x)3 


3 0
3
a/2

(b)


  a/2




 a
22 3
n
n

cn =
x dx +
x dx
x sin
(a x) sin
aa a 0
a
a
a/2
 2



 a/2

2 6
a
n
xa
n
= 2
sin
x
cos
x 
a
n
a
n
a
0

 2


 a
  
 a 



a
a
n
n
ax
n
+a

sin
cos
x 
x
cos
x 
n
a
n
a
n
a
a/2
a/2
 2




 

2
2
2

a
2 6
a
a
a
n
n

n
= 2
cos
cos

cos n +
sin

a
n
2
2n
2
n
n
2

 2
 
 
2
2

a
n
a
a
n
+
sin
+ cos
n
cos

n
2
n
2n
2

 
  
0,
n even,
2 6 a2
n
n
4 6

=
2
sin
sin
=
=
(n1)/2 4 6
2
2
2
(1)
(n)
2
(n)
2
a
(n)2 , n odd.



4 6 2 
n
n2 2
2
(n1)/2 1
En t/

So (x, t) = 2
(1)
sin
,
where
E
=
.
x
e
n

a n=1,3,5,...
n2
a
2ma2
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CHAPTER 2. THE TIME-INDEPENDENT SCHRODINGER
EQUATION

19

(c)
P1 = |c1 |2 =

16 6
= 0.9855.
4

(d)

H =

|cn |2 En =

96 2
2
4 2ma2

1
1
1
1
+ 2 + 2 + 2 +
1
3
5
7





=

48
2 2
6
2
.
=
2
2
ma 8
ma2

2 /8

Problem 2.8
(a)

A, 0 < x < a/2;
(x, 0) =
0, otherwise.


1=A

a/2

dx = A (a/2) A =

2
.
a

(b) From Eq. 2.37,

  a/2
  a/2


 
2
2 a
2
2
c1 = A
x dx =
cos
x 
cos 0 = .
sin
= cos
a 0
a
a

P1 = |c1 |2 = (2/)2 = 0.4053.

Problem 2.9

2 2

2

2

H(x,
0) =
[Ax(a x)] = A
(a 2x) = A .
2
2m x
2m x
m


(x, 0) H(x,
0) dx = A2
m

= A2

m

x(a x) dx = A

x2
x3
a
2
3

m

5
2
a3
a3
30
2 a3

= 5
=
2
3
a m 6
ma2

2

 a



0

(same as Example 2.3).

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CHAPTER 2. THE TIME-INDEPENDENT SCHRODINGER
EQUATION

20

Problem 2.10
(a) Using Eqs. 2.47 and 2.59,


1
d
m 1/4 m x2
e 2



+ mx
dx


2
m
 m 1/4   m 
 m 1/4
 m 2
m 2
1
1


=
2mxe 2
x .
2x + mx e 2
x =
2

2
m

2
m



 m 1/4
m 2
1
d
(a+ )2 0 =
2m

+ mx xe 2
x
2
m

dx

 m 2  m 1/4  2m
m 2
m 
1  m 1/4  
2
2
x
2

1 x
=
=
2x + mx e
x 1 e 2
x .



2





a+ 0 =

Therefore, from Eq. 2.67,

1  m 1/4
1
2 = (a+ )2 0 =
2
2

(b)


m 2
2m 2
x 1 e 2
x .

(c) Since 0 and 2 are even, whereas 1 is odd,

we need to check is 2 0 dx:


0 1 dx and

2 1 dx vanish automatically. The only one





m 2
m 2m 2
1
2 0 dx =
x 1 e
x dx


2





m
2m 2 m x2
m
x2




=
e
dx
x e
dx
2






m




2m

=

= 0.

2

m

2m m

Problem 2.11


(a) Note that 0 is even, and 1 is odd. In either case ||2 is even, so
x = x||2 dx = 0. Therefore

p = md
x/dt = 0. (These results hold for any stationary state of the harmonic oscillator.)

2
2
From Eqs. 2.59 and 2.62, 0 = e /2 , 1 = 2e /2 . So
n = 0:


x  =
2

2 2 /2

x e


dx =

m

3/2 

2 2

1
d =

m

=
.
2
2m

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CHAPTER 2. THE TIME-INDEPENDENT SCHRODINGER
EQUATION



d2 2 /2
d
e
d 2



2

2 /2
m


m

m

=
1 e
d =
=
.
2
2

p  =
2

21

d
i dx


2

0 dx =

2 2

m

/2

n = 1:


x2  = 22

x2 2 e dx = 22
2

m

3/2 

4 e d =
2

2
3
3

=
.
2m
m 4

d2 2 /2

e
d
d 2





2
2m
4

3m

2m
3
=
3
3 2 e d =
=
.
4
2
2

p2  =
2 22

m

/2

(b) n = 0:
x =



x2 


x p =

2m

x2





; p =
p2 
p2 =
2m

m

;
2

m



= . (Right at the uncertainty limit.)

2
2

n = 1:

x =

3

;
2m

p =

3m

;
2

x p = 3

> .

2
2

(c)

T  =

4
(n = 0)

1 2

p  =

2m

T  +
V  =
H =

3
4

(n = 1)

V  =

1
2
(n = 0) = E0

3
2

(n = 1) = E1

4
(n = 0)

1
m 2
x2  =

3
4

(n = 1)

, as expected.

Problem 2.12
From Eq. 2.69,


x=

so





m
(a+ + a ), p = i
(a+ a ),
2m
2





x =
n (a+ + a )n dx.
2m

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CHAPTER 2. THE TIME-INDEPENDENT SCHRODINGER
EQUATION

22
But (Eq. 2.66)

a+ n =


So

x =

p = m

x2  =

n + 1n+1 ,

a n =

nn1 .





n + 1 n n+1 dx + n n n1 dx = 0 (by orthogonality).

2m

d
x
= 0.
dt

2m

x2 =

2
(a+ + a )2 =
a+ + a+ a + a a+ + a2 .
2m
2m

n a2+ + a+ a + a a+ + a2 n . But

2
a+ n
= a+ n + 1
n+1

a a = a
+ n
+ nn1

a
a

=
a

+ n
n + 1
n+1

2
a n
= a nn1

+ 1 n + 2n+2
= n
= n nn

= n + 1) n + 1n

= n n 1n2


= (n + 1)(n + 2)n+2 .
= nn .
=
(n + 1)n .
= (n 1)nn2 .

So

x2  =







1





0 + n |n |2 dx + (n + 1) |n |2 dx + 0 =
(2n + 1) = n +
.
2m
2m
2 m

p2 =

m

m 2
(a+ a )2 =
a+ a+ a a a+ + a2
2
2

m

m

p  =
[0 n (n + 1) + 0] =
(2n + 1) =
2
2
2


1
n+
m
.
2



1
1

T  =
p /2m =
n+

.
2
2
2

x =



x2 
x2 =

1
n+
2

;
m

p =



p2 
p2 =

n+

1
m
;
2


x p =

n+


1



.

2
2

Problem 2.13
(a)

1=


|(x, 0)| dx = |A|
2

9|0 |2 + 120 1 + 121 0 + 16|1 |2 dx

= |A|2 (9 + 0 + 0 + 16) = 25|A|2 A = 1/5.

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CHAPTER 2. THE TIME-INDEPENDENT SCHRODINGER
EQUATION
(b)
(x, t) =

23



1
1
30 (x)eiE0 t/
+ 41 (x)eiE1 t/
=
30 (x)eit/2 + 41 (x)e3it/2 .
5
5

(Here 0 and 1 are given by Eqs. 2.59 and 2.62; E1 and E2 by Eq. 2.61.)

1  2
90 + 120 1 eit/2 e3it/2 + 120 1 eit/2 e3it/2 + 1612
25

1  2
=
90 + 1612 + 240 1 cos(t) .
25

|(x, t)|2 =

(c)

x =
But

x02 dx =

 


1
9 x02 dx + 16 x12 dx + 24 cos(t) x0 1 dx .
25

x12 dx = 0 (see Problem 2.11 or 2.12), while




x0 1 dx =

m

2m

xe

2  m 
2 2

So
24

x =
25

2
m
2
x

2
m
2
x

xe

dx =

' 
(3 




1
=
.
2 m
2m

cos(t);
2m


2  m  2 m x2
x e
dx

d
24

p = m
x =
dt
25

m

sin(t).
2

(With 2 in place of 1 the frequency would be (E2 E0 )/
= [(5/2)
(1/2)
]/
= 2.)
Ehrenfests theorem says d
p/dt =
V /x. Here

d
p
V
24 m

1
=
cos(t), V = m 2 x2
= m 2 x,
dt
25
2
2
x
so

) V *
24

= m 2
x = m 2
x
25

24
cos(t) =
2m
25

m
cos(t),
2

so Ehrenfests theorem holds.

(d) You could get E0 = 12
, with probability |c0 |2 = 9/25, or E1 = 32
, with probability |c1 |2 = 16/25.

Problem 2.14
The new allowed energies are En = (n + 12 )
= 2(n + 12 )
=
, 3
, 5
, . . . . So the probability of
1
2
getting
2
is zero. The probability of getting
(the new ground state energy) is P0 = |c0 | , where c0 =


(x, 0)0 dx, with
(x, 0) = 0 (x) =

 m 1/4

2
m
2
x

0 (x) =

m2

1/4

m2 2
2
x

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CHAPTER 2. THE TIME-INDEPENDENT SCHRODINGER
EQUATION

24
So


1/4

c0 = 2

m

2
3m
2
x

1/4

dx = 2

Therefore
P0 =

m
2

' 
(

2

2
1
1/4
=2
.
2 3m
3

2
2 = 0.9428.
3

Problem 2.15





2
m 2
m


0 =
e
, so P = 2
e dx = 2
e d.



x0

m 0



Classically allowed region extends out to: 12 m 2 x20 = E0 = 12
, or x0 = m
, so 0 = 1.
 m 1/4

2
P =

2 /2

2
e d = 2(1 F ( 2)) (in notation of CRC Table) = 0.157.

Problem 2.16
2(51)
2(53)
4
n = 5: j = 1 a3 = (1+1)(1+2)
a1 = 43 a1 ; j = 3 a5 = (3+1)(3+2)
a3 = 15 a3 = 15
a1 ; j = 5 a7 = 0. So
a1
4
4
3
5
3
5
H5 () = a1 3 a1 + 15 a1 = 15 (15 20 + 4 ). By convention the coecient of 5 is 25 , so a1 = 15 8,

and H5 () = 120 160 3 + 32 5 (which agrees with Table 2.1).

n = 6: j = 0 a2 =
2(64)
(4+1)(4+2) a4

2
= 15
a4 =

2(60)
(0+1)(0+2) a0
8
15
a0 ; j =

2(62)
(2+1)(2+2) a2 =
a0 6a0 2 + 4a0 4

= 6a0 ; j = 2 a4 =

23 a2 = 4a0 ; j = 4 a6 =

6 a8 = 0. So H6 () =

8 6
15 a0 .

The coecient of 6

8
is 26 , so 26 = 15
a0 a0 = 15 8 = 120. H6 () = 120 + 720 2 480 4 + 64 6 .

Problem 2.17
(a)
2
d 2
(e ) = 2e ;
d

d
d
d
d

3

4

d
d

2

e =
2

2
2
d
(2e ) = (2 + 4 2 )e ;
d

e =




2
2
2
d
(2 + 4 2 )e = 8 + (2 + 4 2 )(2) e = (12 8 3 )e ;
d

e =




2
2
2
d
(12 8 3 )e = 12 24 2 + (12 8 3 )(2) e = (12 48 2 + 16 4 )e .
d

H3 () = e

d
d

3

e = 12 + 8 3 ; H4 () = e
2

d
d

4

e = 12 48 2 + 16 4 .
2

c

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