S2021

Hand out: 4.5.2021 Due date: 11.05.2021

Prof. Dr. M. Ziese

Exercises Experimental Physics 4

4. Angular momentum, hydrogen atom

1. Particle in a circular 2D box

Consider a particle in a two-dimensional circular box of radius R with infinite walls: r ≤
R : V (r, ϕ) = 0, r ≥ R : V (r, ϕ) → ∞. Choose the wave functions to be simultaneous eigen-
functions of both Hamilton operator and angular momentum operator L̂z = (h̄/i)(∂/∂ϕ.
Calculate the wave functions and the energy spectrum.
(30 P)
2. *Digital Exercise*
Atomic spectra I
Which of the lines of the spectrum of hydrogen fall in the visible region of the spectrum
(between 400 nm and 700 nm)? Which lines of He+ fall in the same region? How could you
distinguish whether there was hydrogen mixed in with a helium sample?
(15 P)
3. *Digital Exercise*
Atomic spectra II
Within the hydrogen atom, an electron transition n2 → n1 leads to the emission of radiation
with frequency  
E2 − E1 1 1
f= = Rc − (1)
h n21 n22
with Rydberg frequency Rc = 3.2898 × 1015 Hz. The recoil of the hydrogen atom was
neglected.
Find the recoil energy and recoil velocity of a hydrogen atom when it suffers a transition
from the state n2 = 4 to the state n1 = 1, emitting a photon. From the result, justify the
validity of the assumption leading to Eq. (1).
(15 P)
4. Radial dependence of the hydrogen-like wave-functions I
Use the radius dependent part Rnl (r) of the hydrogen-like wave-functions to compute the
average radius hri for
 3/2
Z  ρ
R10 (r) = 2 exp −
a0 2
 3/2
1 Z  ρ
R21 (r) = √ ρ exp −
2 6 a0 2

with ρ = 2Zr/(na0 ). Further, determine the maxima of the average radial probability
density Pnl = 4πr2 Rnl
2
and compare the values with the average radii.
(20 P)
5. *Digital Exercise*
Radial dependence of the hydrogen-like wave-functions II
The average value of r in the hydrogen-like atoms is given by

n2 a0
  
1 l(l + 1)
hri = 1+ 1− .
Z 2 n2

Compute hri for all states with n = 1, 2 and 3. Compare these values with the corresponding
Bohr radii. Using hri as a measure of the size of the orbit, arrange the nl states according
to increasing average distances from the nucleus.
(20 P)