Ph.D.

QUALIFYING EXAMINATION PART A

Tuesday, January 5, 2010, 1:00 5:00 P.M.

Work each problem on a separate sheet(s) of paper and put your identifying number on
each page. Do not use your name. Each problem has equal weight. A table of integrals can be
used. Some physical constants and mathematical definitions will be provided if needed. Some
students find useful the Schaums outlines, Mathematical Handbook of Formulas and Tables.

A1. Two equal masses M connected by a massless string hang over two massless pulleys of
negligible size. The left mass moves only in a vertical line, but the right mass is free to swing
back and forth in the plane of the masses and pulleys.
Find the equations of motion for r and as shown in the
figure.

Assume the left mass starts from rest, and the right
r
mass undergoes small oscillations with angular
amplitude 0 (0 1). What is the initial average
acceleration (averaged over a few periods) of the left M
mass? In which direction does it move? (Hint: you M
need to retain terms to second order in .)

A2. A sphere of radius R carries a charge density = Ar 1/2 , where A is a constant and r is the
distance from the origin.

a) Determine the electric field inside and outside the sphere.

b) Determine the electric potential inside and outside the sphere.

c) Determine the electrostatic energy stored in the sphere.

A3. In a certain basis of states | , | , , | , the matrix representing the Hamiltonian H of
a (6-dimensional) quantum mechanical system, and the matrix representing another observable A
of the same system can be written

1 0 0 0 0 0 a 0 0 0 0 0
0 2 0 0 0 0 0 a 0 0 0 0
0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2a 0 0
H 0 A
0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2a 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3a
0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3a 0

where 0 and a are positive constants. Let the system be in the state

| | | | .

a) If an energy measurement is made on the state | , what possible values can be obtained and
with what probability will each distinct outcome occur?

b) If a measurement of the observable A is made on the state | , what possible values can be
obtained and with what probability will each distinct outcome occur?

c) Find the expectation value of A for this system in the state | .

A4. A uniform rod of mass m and length A is

attached to a frictionless pivot as shown. The rod is
released from rest in the horizontal position.

a) Using the generalized coordinate shown, , write

the Lagrangian. Take the potential energy to be zero
when the rod is horizontal ( = / 2 ) . Use only the
quantities given and the acceleration of gravity in
your answer.

b) Use Hamiltonian dynamics to find an expression

for the angular velocity of the rod as a function of .

c) Suppose that instead of being released from the horizontal position, the rod were released
from rest at a very small angular displacement, 0 << 1 . What would be the angular frequency in
radians per second of the small oscillations of the rod?
A5. A metal sphere of radius R carries a total charge Q0. It is embedded between two semi-
infinite dielectrics (permittivities 1 and 2) such that its center is exactly on the boundary (see
figure).
G
a) Calculate the electric field E ,
G
II
the electric displacement D , and
the electric potential V everywhere
2 2
Q0
1
in space (in regions I, II, and
inside the sphere). 1
I
b) Determine the surface charge density on the metal sphere in regions I and II.

(Hint: Use the boundary conditions at the interface to determine which field depends on r only.)

A6. a) A cadmium-113 nucleus, 113Cd, initially at rest captures a slow neutron with negligible
kinetic energy, producing 114Cd in an excited state. The excited state of 114Cd decays to its
ground state by emitting a photon. Ignoring any binding energy effect, estimate the energy of the
photon.

b) Calculate the energy released in the fusion reaction 31 H + 21 H 24 He + 01 n ,

where a tritium and a deuterium nucleus combine to produce a helium-4 nucleus and a neutron.
Some masses in kg:
melectron = 9.11x10-31 kg mneutron = 1.675x10-27 kg mproton = 1.672x10-27 kg

Some masses in units of u, where 1 u = 931.5 MeV/c2 :

deuterium: 2.014102 tritium: 3.016050 helium-4: 4.002603
carbon-12: 12.000000 oxygen-16: 15.994915 cadmium-113: 112.904401
cadmium-114: 113.903361 neutron: 1.008665 proton: 1.007276
electron: 0.0005486 hydrogen: 1.007825
Constants and conversion factors:

e = 1.6x10-19 C 1 eV = 1.6x10-19 J h = 6.63x10-34 Js

c = 3x108 m/s 0 = 8.85x10-12 C2/(Nm2) k = 1.38x10-23 J/K

 Ph.D. QUALIFYING EXAMINATION PART B

Wednesday, January 6, 2010, 1:00 5:00 p.m.

Work each problem on a separate sheet(s) of paper and put your identifying number on
each page. Do not use your name. Each problem has equal weight. A table of integrals can be
used. Some physical constants and mathematical definitions will be provided if needed. Some
students find useful the Schaums outlines, Mathematical Handbook of Formulas and Tables.

B1. A ball of mass M collides with a stick of mass m and

a moment of inertia I = mA 2 (relative to its center which
is also its center of mass). The ball is initially traveling at V0 d
speed V0 perpendicular to the stick. The ball strikes the
M
stick at a distance d from its center. The collision is
elastic.

a) Find the resulting translational and rotational speeds of the stick, and the speed of the ball
after the collision.

b) Show that the relative speed of the ball and the point of contact on the stick is the same before
and immediately after the collision.

B2. A square loop of length A on a side is placed so that the top portion is in a uniform magnetic
field B, and allowed to fall under gravity. The loop has a mass m and an electrical resistance R .
The magnetic field points out of the paper.

a) As you look at the paper which direction will the induced current B
flow? Clockwise (CW), counterclockwise (CCW), or there is no
induced current.
b) Set up the differential equation to describe the motion of the
loop.
c) Determine an expression for the terminal velocity of the loop.
d) Solve for the velocity as a function of time.
B3. A dilute gas, consisting of N point particles each having mass m and positive charge q, is
confined between the plates of a parallel-plate capacitor of area A and plate separation d. A
uniform electric field of strength E0 (directed along the x axis, perpendicular to the plate surface)
is maintained in the region to which the particles are confined. The gas is in thermal equilibrium
at temperature T and is dilute enough not to alter the electric field applied between the plates.

a) Neglecting interactions between the particles, write down the classical Hamiltonian for one of
the gas particles in the region between the plates.

b) Treating the particles in the gas as classical distinguishable particles, find the number density
n(x), i.e., the number of particles per unit volume located at a distance x from the positively
charged plate of the capacitor.

c) Assuming that at each point the gas can be considered ideal, find the difference in gas
pressure across the region of width d between the plates.

B4. Consider a two-level system with states | and | and a Hamiltonian H = H0 + H1. The
unperturbed part of the Hamiltonian is given by

H0 = ( 0 /2) ( -| |+| | ),

while the coupling to a constant electric field F is described by

H1 = edF ( | |+| | ).

Here, ed is the dipole moment of the transition.

a) Calculate the eigenenergies and eigenstates of the full Hamiltonian H. Hint: It is useful to
express the normalized eigenstates in terms of a mixing angle via | = cos | + sin | .

b) Determine the energy difference between the two levels before and after the electric field is
applied. This corresponds to the change of the spectral line corresponding to a transition
between | and due to the field (this is the so-called Stark effect).

c) Find the time evolution | of the quantum state if the initial condition at time t = 0 is
| 0 = | . Calculate the time evolution of the probabilities | | |2 and | | |2 for the
system to be in states | and | , respectively. Under what conditions can the probability be
transferred completely to state | ?
B5. a) Protons at the LHC can be accelerated to energies as high as 7 TeV (where 1 TeV = 1012
eV). Calculate the speed (as a fraction of c, the speed of light) and momentum (in units of TeV/c)
of a 1 TeV proton.

The Missouri S&T reactor consists of a core where the nuclear reactions take place, and a large
pool of water in which the core is immersed. The water serves to cool the core. Neutrons are
produced in the reactor core, and come into thermal equilibrium with the water in the pool. The
flux of neutrons is small enough that it is safe to assume that the neutron wave functions do not
overlap. Suppose the water temperature is 30 C (or 303 K).

b) Calculate the average thermal energy of the neutrons in thermal equilibrium with the water.

c) Calculate the speed and wavelength of a neutron having this average energy.

Some masses in kg:

melectron = 9.11x10-31 kg mneutron = 1.675x10-27 kg mproton = 1.672x10-27 kg

Some masses in units of u, where 1 u = 931.5 MeV/c2 :

deuterium: 2.014102 tritium: 3.016050 helium-4: 4.002603
carbon-12: 12.000000 oxygen-16: 15.994915 cadmium-113: 112.904401
cadmium-114: 113.903361 neutron: 1.008665 proton: 1.007276
electron: 0.0005486 hydrogen: 1.007825

Constants and conversion factors:

e = 1.6x10-19 C 1 eV = 1.6x10-19 J h = 6.63x10-34 Js

c = 3x108 m/s 0 = 8.85x10-12 C2/(Nm2) k = 1.38x10-23 J/K

B6. A charged ion of mass m and charge q is bound to a force center by a harmonic potential

1
,
2 2 2 2

where / , / , and /2 .

An electric field is directed along the positive x axis.

a) What are the energies and degeneracies of the unperturbed ion, i.e., in the absence of the
electric field?

b) Find the eigenenergies of the system in the presence of the perturbing field, at least to 2nd
order in the strength of the applied field.

c) Obtain an expression for the new ground state | of the system (i.e., in the presence of the
perturbing field), as an expansion in unperturbed eigenstates | of , to at least first order in
the applied field.