Paper 4, Section II, A

Asymptotic Methods | Part II, 2019

Consider, for small ϵ\epsilon, the equation

ϵ2d2ψdx2−q(x)ψ=0\epsilon^{2} \frac{d^{2} \psi}{d x^{2}}-q(x) \psi=0

Assume that (∗)(*) has bounded solutions with two turning points a,ba, b where b>a,q′(b)>0b>a, q^{\prime}(b)>0 and q′(a)<0q^{\prime}(a)<0.

(a) Use the WKB approximation to derive the relationship

1ϵ∫ab∣q(ξ)∣1/2dξ=(n+12)π with n=0,1,2,⋯\frac{1}{\epsilon} \int_{a}^{b}|q(\xi)|^{1 / 2} d \xi=\left(n+\frac{1}{2}\right) \pi \text { with } n=0,1,2, \cdots

[You may quote without proof any standard results or formulae from WKB theory.]

(b) In suitable units, the radial Schrödinger equation for a spherically symmetric potential given by V(r)=−V0/rV(r)=-V_{0} / r, for constant V0V_{0}, can be recast in the standard form (∗)(*) as:

ℏ22md2ψdx2+e2x[λ−V(ex)−ℏ22m(l+12)2e−2x]ψ=0\frac{\hbar^{2}}{2 m} \frac{d^{2} \psi}{d x^{2}}+e^{2 x}\left[\lambda-V\left(e^{x}\right)-\frac{\hbar^{2}}{2 m}\left(l+\frac{1}{2}\right)^{2} e^{-2 x}\right] \psi=0

where r=exr=e^{x} and ϵ=ℏ/2m\epsilon=\hbar / \sqrt{2 m} is a small parameter.

Use result (∗∗)(* *) to show that the energies of the bound states (i.e λ=−∣λ∣<0)\lambda=-|\lambda|<0) are approximated by the expression:

E=−∣λ∣=−m2ℏ2V02(n+l+1)2E=-|\lambda|=-\frac{m}{2 \hbar^{2}} \frac{V_{0}^{2}}{(n+l+1)^{2}}

[You may use the result

∫ab1r(r−a)(b−r)dr=(π/2)[b−a]2.]\left.\int_{a}^{b} \frac{1}{r} \sqrt{(r-a)(b-r)} d r=(\pi / 2)[\sqrt{b}-\sqrt{a}]^{2} .\right]

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