Wave function of a two atom system

[luxiaolei]

Homework Statement

what is the possible wave functions of a two hydrogen atom system under a pertubation, if one of them was perpared in 2s0 and the other was perpared in 2p0 state.

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

I have no idea of the total wave function should be the sum of both individual functions or its the products of both. And the physics meaning behind summation and multipcation of wavefunctions.

PS: this is not actually a university home work, but a self study problem, please ignor me if I have posted a wrong place. thanks alot.

 

[mark726]

Thank you for your question. I can offer some insights into your problem. The total wave function of a two hydrogen atom system under a perturbation can be expressed as a linear combination of the individual wave functions of the two atoms. This means that the total wave function is the sum of the individual wave functions, not the product.

In this particular case, since one atom is in the 2s0 state and the other is in the 2p0 state, the total wave function can be written as:

Ψ = Ψ1 + Ψ2

Where Ψ1 represents the wave function of the atom in the 2s0 state and Ψ2 represents the wave function of the atom in the 2p0 state.

The physics meaning behind this summation is that when two atoms are in close proximity, their individual wave functions interact with each other and the total wave function is a combination of these interactions. This allows us to study the behavior of the system as a whole.

I hope this helps clarify your understanding. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Good luck with your self-study.