Atomic Physics Examination

Instructions:-

• Total Number of questions: 8

• Maximum marks: 25

• Wrong attempt: −50% marks

• Maximum time: 40 minutes

• Use calculator for Qns. 2, 5 & 8

• Check figure associated with Qn. 7 in page 2

• Qn. 9 is homework and not part of exam.

• All the best.

Questions:-

1. (1 point) The electron of a free hydrogen atom is initially in a state with quantum
numbers n = 3 and l = 2. It then makes an electric dipole transition to a lower energy
state. Which one of the given states could it be in after the transition? [TIFR-2017]
A. n = 3, l = 0 B. n = 2, l = 1 C. n = 3, l = 1 D. n = 2, l = 2

2. (2 points) State of electron

√ in hydrogen atom is given by the following wavefunction
1
|Ψi = 5 [Φ100 +4iΦ210 −2 2Φ21−1 ], where Φnlm is the exact energy eigenstates of hydrogen
atom. Then the energy expectation value < E > in eV is?
A. −5.01 B. −3.81 C. −6.25 D. −4.52

3. (2 points) What is The term symbol for the electronic ground state of oxygen atom?
[GATE-2018]
A. 1 S0 B. 1 D2 C. 3 P0 D. 3 P2

4. (4 points) The sodium D-lines are due to 2 P 1 →2 S 1 (∆E1 energy) and 2 P 3 →2 S 1 (∆E2
2 2 2 2
energy) transitions. The splitting due to spin-orbit coupling in 2 P states i.e between
2
P 3 and 2 P 1 is
2 2
∆E2 +∆E1 ∆E2 −∆E1
A. ∆E2 + ∆E1 B. ∆E2 − ∆E1 C. 2
D. 2

5. (4 points) In the hydrogen atom the radius of the orbit B is 16 times greater than
the radius of orbit A, i.e rB = 16rA . The total energy of the electron in orbit A is
EA = −3.40eV . What is the total energy of the electron in orbit B, (EB in eV )?
A. −0.85 B. −0.21 C. −1.50 D. None
 6. (4 points) A transition in which one photon is radiated by the electron in hydrogen atom
when the wavefunction changes from ψ1 → ψ2 is forbidden if ψ1 and ψ2
A. have opposite parity
B. are orthogonal to each other
C. are zero at atomic nucleus
D. are both spherically symmetric

7. (4 points) A system is modelled as a particle confined to a one dimensional infinte

potential well with walls at x = ±a. Its energy eigenvalue is 2eV and the corresponding
eigenfunction is shown in Figure-1 (see page-2). Energy of the emitted photon when the
particle undergo transition to lowest possible energy level is in eV ?
A. 1 B. 1.5 C. 2 D. 2.5

Figure 1: Wavefunction of the particle inside a 1-D box. Refer problem 7

8. (4 points) A bag contains 100 balls marked numbers 1 to 100 without repetition on it.
You are asked to pick any three balls at random without replacement. Construct the
product N of three numbers on it (N = N1 × N2 × N3 ). The probability that N is
divisible by 3 is best approximate P ≈ ?
A. 0.3 B. 0.5 C. 0.7 D. 0.9
**********************************************************

Qn: 9) [NOT PART OF EXAM] Suppose ψ0 , ψ1 , ψ2 ... are the wavefunctions of an anhar-
monic oscillator and φ0 , φ1 , φ2 , ... are wavefunctions of a harmonic oscillator with increasing
order of energy. Given,
ψ0 = a1 φ0 + a2 φ2 + a3 φ4
ψ1 = b1 φ0 + b2 φ4 + b3 φ6
ψ2 = c1 φ1 + c2 φ4
ψ3 = d1 φ3 + d2 φ5
The forbidden electric dipole transition (assuming the dipole operator is linear in har-
monic oscillator wavefunctions) among the following is?

a) ψ0 → ψ1 b) ψ0 → ψ2
c) ψ0 → ψ3 d) ψ1 → ψ2

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 Hint: Probability for transition ψi → ψf is proportional to the matrix | hψi | Ô |ψf i |2
where Ô = qx̂ is the electric dipole operator with q the charge of particle. Hence for
q hψi | qx̂ |ψf i = 0. Write√x̂ in terms of lowering √
forbidden transition and raising operators a
and a† , i.e x̂ = 2mω
~
(a + a† ) where a |ni = n |n − 1i and a† |ni = n + 1 |n + 1i. Correct
Option is (a).

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