Problem Set 6: Kinematics and Dynamics Physics 550

Physics 550
Problem Set 6: Kinematics and Dynamics

Name:

Instructions / Notes / Suggestions:

• Each problem is worth five points.

• In order to receive credit, you must show your work.

• Circle your final answer.

• Unless otherwise specified, answers should be given in terms of the variables in the
problem and/or physical constants and/or cartesian unit vectors (êx , êx , êz ) or radial
unit vector r̂.

• Staple your work.

Problem Set 6: Kinematics and Dynamics Physics 550

Problem #1:

The Kronecker product of two matrices:

C=A⊗B

is defined in terms of their matrix elements:

C(ik)(jl) = Aij Bkl

Show that:
Tr (C) = Tr (A) Tr (B)

Answer:

The trace of an n × n square matrix is defined to be the sum of the elements on its main
diagonal.

For C:
XX
Tr (C) = C(ik)(jl) δ(ik)(jl)
ik jl
X
= C(ik)(ik)
ik
X
= Aii Bkk
ik
X X
= Aii Bkk
i k

= Tr (A) Tr (B)
Problem Set 6: Kinematics and Dynamics Physics 550

Problem #2:

The Hamiltonian H of a two-component, non-interacting system may be written:

H = H1 ⊗ I + I ⊗ H2

where H1 and H2 are the Hamiltonians of the two components, and I is the identity operator.

Show that the corresponding time evolution operator U (t) has the form:

U (t) = U1 (t) ⊗ U2 (t)

where:

U1 (t) = exp(−itH1 /~)

U2 (t) = exp(−itH2 /~)

Answer:

The time-evolution operator for the two-component system is:

U (t) = exp(−itH/~)

= exp(−it(H1 ⊗ I + I ⊗ H2 )/~)
= exp(−it(H1 ⊕ H2 )/~)
= exp(−itH1 /~) ⊗ exp(−itH2 /~)

= U1 (t) ⊗ U2 (t)

where ⊕ is the Kronecker sum:

A ⊕ B = A ⊗ Im + In ⊗ B

(where A is n × n and B is m × m), and the following formula for the matrix exponential:

exp(A ⊕ B) = exp(A) ⊗ exp(B)

has been used.

Problem Set 6: Kinematics and Dynamics Physics 550

Problem #3:

Show that a pure state cannot evolve into a non-pure state, and vice versa.

Answer:

Let ρ be the state operator.

The time-evolution of ρ (e.g., in the Schrödinger picture) can be written:

ρ(t) = U ρ(t0 )U †

where U := U (t, t0 ) = exp (−i(t − t0 )H/~).

The time-evolution of ρ2 is therefore:

ρ2 (t) = U ρ(t0 )U † U ρ(t0 )U †

= U ρ(t0 ) U † U ρ(t0 )U †

= U ρ(t0 )ρ(t0 )U †
= U ρ2 (t0 )U †

The trace of ρ2 (t) is:

Tr ρ2 (t) = Tr U ρ2 (t0 )U †

= Tr ρ2 (t0 )U † U

= Tr ρ2 (t0 )

Therefore, a pure state will remain a pure state (and similar for a non-pure state).
Problem Set 6: Kinematics and Dynamics Physics 550

Problem #4:

Consider an arbitrary physical system.

Denote the Hamiltonian of this system by H0 (t), and the corresponding evolution operator
by U0 (t, t0 ):

∂
i~ U (t, t0 ) = H0 (t)U0 (t, t0 )
∂t
U0 (t0 , t0 ) = I

Now suppose that the system is perturbed in such a way that its Hamiltonian becomes:

H(t) = H0 (t) + H1 (t)

The so-called “interaction picture” (I) may be obtained by the following transformation of
states and dynamical variables of the Schrödinger picture (S):

|ψI (t)i = U0† (t, t0 ) |ψS (t)i

ρI (t) = U0† (t, t0 )ρS (t)U0 (t, t0 )

RI (t) = U0† (t, t0 )RS U0 (t, t0 )

(a) Find the equations of motion for the state vector |ψI (t)i and state operator ρI (t).
(b) Explain why (qualitatively), when H1 (t) is much smaller than H0 (t), the motion of
|ψI (t)i is much slower than that of |ψS (t)i.
(c) Determine the time dependence of the average of the observable represented by the
operator R. Compare this to that in the Schrödinger and Heisenberg pictures.
Problem Set 6: Kinematics and Dynamics Physics 550

Problem #5:

The unitary operator:

U (v) = exp(iv · G)

describes the instantaneous (t = 0) effect of a transformation to a frame of reference moving

at the velocity v with respect to the original reference frame.

The effect of U (v) on the position q and momentum p operators are:

U qU −1 = q

U pU −1 = m (v − vI)

where m is the mass (of the quantum state).

Find an operator G(t) such that the unitary operator:

U (v, t) = exp(iv · G(t))

will yield the full Galilei transformation:

U qU −1 = q − tvI
U pU −1 = p − mvI

Answer:

Consider an important lemma to the Baker–Campbell–Hausdorff formula:

eA Be−A = B + [A, B] + . . .

Applying this to the left-hand side of the above expressions gives:

U qU −1 = q + [iv · G(t), q] + . . .
U pU −1 = p + [iv · G(t), p] + . . .
Problem Set 6: Kinematics and Dynamics Physics 550

Noting that G(t) is the generator of an infinitesimal transformation v, all high-order com-
mutator brackets above may be neglected.

Therefore, we seek a Hermitian operator G(t) such that:

[iv · G(t), q] = − tv · I
[iv · G(t), p] = − mv · I

Considering the canonical commutation relations, one can see that:

G(t) = mq − tp

(where ~ = 1 has been taken for simplicity) would satisfy the above relations.