Solutions to PS 13 Physics 201

1. By plugging in the assumed form to the equation, we get

d2 (x)
1 d2 F (t)
F
(t)
=
(x).
dx2
v 2 dt2

(1)

1 1 d2 F (t)
1 d2 (x)
=
.
(x) dx2
v 2 F (t) dt2

(2)

Dividing by F (t)(x),

The left hand side of this equation is a function of only x, while the right hand side is
a function of only t. The only possibility is that both of these are just constant. Then,
we can assume this constant is 2 with some . (Here, is generally a complex
number and adding a - sign gives the same result. But this convention will make the
calculation simpler by use of sin and cos.) This assumption leads to the following two
equations:
d2 (x)
= 2 (x),
dx2

(3)

d2 F (t)
= 2 v 2 F (t).
dt2

(4)

and

The solution to the eq. (3) and (4) is given by

sin x,
(x) = A cos x + B

(5)

sin vt.
F (t) = C cos vt + D

(6)

and

However, we have to impose the boundary condition (0) = (L) = 0. This leads
to A = 0 and L = 2m with some integer m. Then, by defining new coecients
C and B = B
D,
we finally get
A = B
(x, t) = sin

2mv
2mv
2m
x (A cos
t + B sin
t).
L
L
L

Because the string is at rest at t = 0, that is,

d(x,0)
dt

(7)

= 0, we have B = 0. Also, from

x, we get A = A and m = n. Therefore,

the condition that (x, 0) = A sin 2n
L
(x, t) = A sin

2nv
2n
x cos
t.
L
L

(8)

2
2. (i)The normalized momentum eigenstate is given by
1 2n
n (x) = ei L x .
L

(9)

Then,
2 d2 n (x)
n (x) = h
+ V (x)n (x)
H
2m dx2
h
2 d2 n (x)
=
2m dx2
h
2 2n 2
(i
) n (x)
=
2m L
2 2 h
2 n2
n (x).
=
mL2
n (x) = En (x) with E =
Thus, n (x) satisfies H

2 2
h2 n2
mL2

(10)
(11)
(12)
(13)

En .

t) = C(x, t). From normalization con(ii)Lets define normalized wavefunction (x,

dition, we get
1 = |C|

= |C|

|(x, 0)|2 dx

(14)

(9|2 (x)|2 + 122 (x)3 (x) + 122 (x)3 (x) + 16|3 (x)|2 dx

(15)

= |C|2 (9 + 16) = 25|C|2 ,

(16)

where the orthonomality of the states was used. We can simply take C=1/5. Finally
we have
0) = 3 2 (x) + 4 3 (x)
(x,
5
5

(17)

(Note that we have only to impose normalization condition at t = 0, because the

conservation of probability holds from the time-dependent Schrodinger equation.)
Noting that time evolutions of 0 (x) and 1 (x) under the time-dependent Schrodinger
equation are given by
2 (x, t) = 2 (x)ei

E2
t
h

8 2 h

= 2 (x)ei mL2 t

(18)

and
3 (x, t) = 3 (x)ei

E3
t
h

18 2 h

= 3 (x)ei mL2 t ,

(19)

3
we get
2h

18 2 h

4
t
t) = 3 2 (x)ei 8
mL2 +
3 (x)ei mL2 t
(x,
5
5
3 1 i 4 x i 822h t 4 1 i 6 x i 1822h t
= e L e mL + e L e mL .
5 L
5 L

(20)
(21)

From this, we have

t)|2
P (x, t) = |(x,
=

(22)

1 9
12 4
{ + (ei L x e
L 25 25

2
i 8 2h
t
mL

2
i 18 2h
t
mL

) (ei L x e

)+

12 i 4 x
(e L e
25

2
i 8 2h
t
mL

2
i 18 2h
t
mL

)(ei L x e

) +

(23)
=

1
24
2
10 2 h

{1 +
cos( x
t)}.
2
L
25
L
mL

(24)

16
}
25

4
3. (i)It is useful to define characteristic length scale x0 =
2

0 (x) = [

x
1 1 2x
2
4e
0.
]
x20

.
m

Then, we have
(25)

(Note that x/x0 is a dimensionless quantity.) Fig.1 is a plot of this function.

(Sx02)1/4
\(x)

-4

-2

x/x0

FIG. 1:

(ii) From normalization condition, we have

2
2
|1 (x)| dx = |A|

Using the formula

x2 ex dx =

1
2

x2 emx

2 /
h

dx = 1

A=[

(26)

with = m/h, we get

h3
2 h
|A|
=
=1
2m m
4m3 3

and therefore,

Again using x0 ,

4m3 3 1
]4 .

h3

(27)

(28)
2

x
4m3 3 1 mx2
4 1 2x
2
4 xe
2
h
4 xe
0
1 (x) = [
]
=
[
]
3
6
x0

h
Fig.2 is a plot of this function.

(29)

\(x)

(4/Sex02)1/4

-x0
x0

FIG. 2:

(iii)
2
d2 1 (x)
d2
mx
2
h )
=
A
(xe
dx2
dx2
d
mx mx2
=A { 1x
e 2h }
dx
h

2mx mx2
mx mx2
mx 2
= A{
e 2h + 1
(
)e 2h }
h

m2 2 x2 3mx mx2
= A(
)e 2h

h
2

(30)
(31)
(32)
(33)

Using this, we find

2

d 1 (x) 1
1 (x) = h
+ mx 2 1 (x)
H
2
2m
dx
2

mx 2
3
h 1
1
2 3
2 3
=A
m x + m x e 2h
2
2
2
3
h
=
1 (x),
2

(34)
(35)
(36)

1 (x) = E1 (x) with

and thusH
E=

3
h
E1 .
2

(37)

6
(iv)

0 (x)1 (x)dx

0 (x)1 (x)dx

mx 2
1
xe h dx,
= [ 8]
x0

but this integral is simply 0 because xe

(38)

mx 2
h

(39)

is an odd function of x.

t) = C(x, t). Using the above result,

(v) Lets define normalized wavefunction (x,
we have from normalization condition,

2
|(x, 0)|2 dx
1 = |C|

(9|0 (x, 0)|2 + 120 (x)1 (x) + 120 (x)1 (x) + 16|1 (x)|2 dx
= |C|2

(9|0 (x, 0)|2 + 240 (x)1 (x) + 16|1 (x)|2 )dx

= |C|2

(9|0 (x, 0)|2 + 16|1 (x)|2 )dx

= |C|2

(40)
(41)
(42)
(43)

= 25|C|2 .

(44)

0) = 3 0 (x) + 4 1 (x). (Note that

We can simply take C = 1/5. Then, we have (x,
5
5
again we have only to impose normalization condition at t = 0.)
Noting that time evolutions of 0 (x) and 1 (x) under the time-dependent Schrodinger
equation are given by
0 (x, t) = 0 (x)ei

E0
t
h

= 0 (x)ei 2 t

(45)

and
1 (x, t) = 1 (x)ei

E1
t
h

= 1 (x)ei

3
t
2

(46)

we get
t) = 3 0 (x)ei 2 t + 4 1 (x)ei 32 t
(x,
5
5
3 m 1 mx2 i t 4 4m3 3 1 mx2 i 3 t
= [
] 4 e 2h e 2 + [
] 4 xe 2h e 2 .
5 h
5
h3

(47)
(48)

7
Therefore,
t)|2
P (x, t) = |(x,

(49)

16 4m3 3 1 2 mx2
9 m 1 mx2 24 2 m mx2
2
h

[
] 2 e h +
xe h cos t + [
(50)
3 ] x e
25 h
25 h

25
h

9 m 24 2 m
32 m3 3 2 mx2
=(
+
x cos t +
x )e h .
(51)
25 h
25 h

25

h3
=

Or,
24 x
9
32 x2 xx2
1
( +
2 cos t +
)e 0 .
x0 25 25
x0
25 x20
2

P (x, t) =

(52)