3.I.7G

Quantum Mechanics | Part IB, 2005

The wave function Ψ(x,t)\Psi(x, t) is a solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation for a particle of mass mm in a potential V(x)V(x),

HΨ(x,t)=itΨ(x,t),H \Psi(x, t)=i \hbar \frac{\partial}{\partial t} \Psi(x, t),

where HH is the Hamiltonian. Define the expectation value, O\langle\mathcal{O}\rangle, of any operator O\mathcal{O}.

At time t=0,Ψ(x,t)t=0, \Psi(x, t) can be written as a sum of the form

Ψ(x,0)=nanun(x),\Psi(x, 0)=\sum_{n} a_{n} u_{n}(x),

where unu_{n} is a complete set of normalized eigenfunctions of the Hamiltonian with energy eigenvalues EnE_{n} and ana_{n} are complex coefficients that satisfy nanan=1\sum_{n} a_{n}^{*} a_{n}=1. Find Ψ(x,t)\Psi(x, t) for t>0t>0. What is the probability of finding the system in a state with energy EpE_{p} at time tt ?

Show that the expectation value of the energy is independent of time.

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