GIAN-CARLO ROTA, Editor

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MATHEMATICS AND ITS APPLICATIONS

Volume 8

Section: Mathematics of Physics

Peter A. Carruthers, Section Editor

Angular Momentum
in Quantum Physics
Theory and Application
L. C. Biedenharn
Physics Department
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

J. D. Louck
Los Alamos National Laboratory
University of California
Los Alamos, New Mexico
With a Foreword by

Peter A. Carruthers
Los Alamos National Laboratory
University of California
Los Alamos, New Mexico

CAMBRIDGE
UNIVERSITY PRESS

Contents
Contents of companion volume
The Racah-Wigner Algebra in Quantum Theory
by L. C. Biedenharn and J. D. Louck
(ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MATHEMATICS AND ITS
APPLICATIONS, Volume 9)
Editor's Statement
Section Editor's Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments

xvii
xxiii
xxv
xxvii
xxxi

PARTI
Chapter 1 Introduction
Notes
References

1
4
5

Chapter 2 The Kinematics of Rotations

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Introduction
Properties of Rotations
Dirac's Construction
Cartan's Definition of a Spinor
Relation between SU(2) and SO{3) Rotations
Parametrizations of the Group of Rotations
Notes
References

7
. . .7
10
15
17
19
25
26

Chapter 3 Standard Treatment of Angular Momentum in

Quantum Mechanics

29

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Overview
Defimtion of the Angular Momentum Operators
The Angular Momentum Multiplets
Matrices of the Angular Momentum
The Rotation Matrices (General Properties)
The Rotation Matrices (ExpUcit Forms)

xi

29
29
31
37
39
46

xii

Contents

7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.

Wave Functions for Angular Momentum Systems

Differential Equations for the Rotation Matrices
Orthogonality of the Rotation Matrices
Spherical Harmonics
The Addition of Angular Momentum
The Wigner Coefficients
Relations between Rotation Matrices and Wigner
Coefficients
Concept of a Tensor Operator
The Wigner-Eckart Theorem
The Coupling of Tensor Operators
Applications of the Wigner-Eckart Theorem
Racah Coefficients
9-y Coefficients
Rotationally Invariant Products
Operators Associated with Wigner, Racah, and
9-7 Coefficients
Notes
Appendices
References

Chapter 4 The Theory of Turns Adapted from Hamilton

55
57
66
68
71
75
84
87
94
97
99
106
127
131
133
141
162
175
180

1. An Alternative Approach to Rotations

2. Properties of Turns (Geometric Viewpoint)
3. Properties of Turns (Algebraic View)
4. The Space of Turns as a Carrier Space
5. Notes
References

180
184
193
198
201
203

Chapter 5 The Boson Calculus Applied to the Theory of Turns

205

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Introduction
205
Excursus on the Boson Calculus
206
The Jordan Mapping
212
An Application of the Jordan Map
214
Generalization of the Jordan Map
217
Application of the Generalized Jordan Map
219
Application of the Generalized Jordan Map to
Determine the Wigner Coefficients
223
8. Wigner Coefficients as "Discretized" Rotation Matrices . . . 2 2 6
9. Appendices
230
References
264

Contents

xiii

Chapter 6 Orbital Angular Momentum and Angular Functions

on the Sphere
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.

269

Rotational Symmetry of a Simple Physical System

270
Scalar Product of State Vectors
271
Unitarity of the Orbital Rotation Operator
272
A (Dense) Subspace of %(S)
273
Only Integral Values of / can occur in the
Quantization of Spatial (Orbital)
Angular Momentum
274
Transformations of the Solid Harmonics under
Orbital Rotation
275
The Elements of the Rotation Matrix ^'(R) are
Homogeneous Polynomials
277
The Energy Eigenvalue Equation
278
Tensor Spherical Harmonics
279
Spinor Spherical Harmonics
283
Vector Spherical Harmonics
284
Algebraic Aspects of Vector Spherical Harmonics
286
Summary of Properties of Vector Solid Harmonics
292
Decomposition Theorem for Vector Functions Defined
on the Sphere
299
Rotationally Invariant Spherical Functions of Two
Vectors
302
Applications of the Cartan Map to Spherical Functions . . .305
Rotationally Invariant Spherical Functions in
Several Vectors
307
Relationship of Solid Harmonics to Potential Theory
311
The Orbital Rotation Matrices as Forms
313
The Orbital Rotation Matrices are Equivalent to Real
Orthogonal Matrices
316
The "Double-Valued Representations" of the Proper
Orthogonal Group SO(3)
316
Note
319
References
322

PART II
Chapter 7

Some Applications to Physical Problems

324

1. Introductory Remarks
2. Basic Principles Underlying the Applications
3. The Zeeman Effect

324
324
326

xiv

Contents

a.
b.

d.
e.

Background
326
The Normal Zeeman Effect
327
Quantal Treatment
327
The Anomalous Zeeman Effect
331
Relation to the Development of Angular
Momentum Theory
333
f. Concluding Remarks
334
g. Note
335
References
335
4. The Nonrelativistic Hydrogen Atom
335
a. Algebraic Aspects
336
b. Properties of the Bound States of the Hydrogen
Atom
340
Explicit Hydrogen Atom Wave Functions
344
d. Momentum Space Representation
347
e. Relationship between Rotation Matrices and
Hyperspherical Harmonics
351
f. Pauli Particle (Hydrogen Atom with Spin)
353
g. Remarks
359
h. Appendix
361
References
362
5. Atomic Spectroscopy
364
a. Introduction
364
b. The Approximate Hamiltonian for Many-Electron
Atoms
365
The Central-Field Model
366
d. A Short Vocabulary of Spectroscopy Terminology . . . . 376
e. Closed Shells
377
f. The One-Electron Problem with Spin-Orbit
Coupling
378
g. Two-Electron Configurations
381
h. Equivalent Electron Configurations
393
i. Operator Structures in /"-Configurations
406
j . Appendix
421
References
428
6. Electromagnetic Processes
432
a. Preliminary Remarks
432
b. Multipole Radiation
433
The Hansen Multipole Fields
435
d. Classical Multipole Moments
437
e. Reduction of the Electric Multipole Moments
438
f. The Radiated Multipole Fields
439
g. A Curious Property of the Multipole Expansion
(Casimir [9])
439

Contents

xv

h.
i.
j.
k.
1.

7.

8.

9.

10.

The Radiated Power

Angular Momentum Flux
A Vectorial Analog to the Rayleigh Expansion
An Illustrative Example
The Density Matrix for Photon Angular Correlation
Measurements
m. Notes
References
Angular Momentum Techniques in the Density Matrix
Formulation of Quantum Mechanics
a. Preliminaries
b. Statistical Tensors
A Geometric Characterization of the Density Matrices
for Pure States of Spin-y
d. The Density Matrix for a Relativistic Massive
Particle of Spin-y
e. The Special Case of Massless Particles
f. Coupling of Statistical Tensors
g. Some Examples Illustrating the Coupling Formula . . . .
h. The Majorana Formula
References
Angular Correlations and Angular Distributions of
Reactions
a. The Nature of the Angular Correlation Process
b. Cascades
Stretched Angular Momenta
d. More Involved Correlation Processes
e. Relativistic Regime
References
Some Applications to Nuclear Structure
a. Qualitative Considerations
b. The Nuclear Shell Model of Mayer and Jensen
The Isospin Quantum Number
d. Properties of a Short-Range Interaction
e. The Pairing Interaction (Seniority)
f. Quasi-Spin
g. Quasi-Spin Wave Functions (Seniority Label)
h. Application of Quasi-Spin to Tensor Operators
i. Seniority in Terms of Casimir Operators
j . Concluding Remarks
k. Note
References
Body-Fixed Frames: Spectra of Spherical Top
Molecules

440
441
442
443
449
452
453
455
455
457
463
467
469
470
471
474
476
478
478
483
484
484
488
491
492
492
493
499
500
508
510
512
515
517
523
524
525
527

xvi

Contents

a. Introduction
527
b. Definition and Kinematics of a Body-Fixed Frame . . . . 528
Form of the State Vectors for Isolated Systems
Described in a Body-Fixed Frame
533
d. The Instantaneous Principal Axes of Inertia Frame . . . . 534
e. The Eckart Molecular Frame
535
f. Distinguished Particle Frames
539
g. Uniform Method of Defining Body-Fixed Frames . . . . 540
h. Internal Coordinates
543
i. Internal Coordinates for the Eckart Frame
544
j . Internal Coordinates for the Principal Axes Frame . . . .549
k. The Linear Momentum Operators
554
1. The Hamiltonian for a Semirigid (Rigid) Polyatomic
Molecule
559
m. Approximate Form of the Hamiltonian for
Spherical Top Molecules
563
n. First-Order Energy Spectrum of a Triply Degenerate
Vibration in a Spherical Top Molecule
572
o. The Point Group of a Rigid Molecule
578
p. Higher-Order Corrections: Phenomenological
Hamiltonian
587
q. Splitting Patterns
594
r. Symmetry Axes and Induced Representations
602
s. High Angular Momentum Effects
609
t. Selection Rules and Statistical Weights
612
u. Spectra of Fundamental Transitions of SF6
624
v. Appendices
626
References
629
Appendix of Tables
Bibliography

634
667

List of Symbols

670

Author Index

687

Subject Index

695