Coulomb integrals of spherical Bessel functions

In summary, the author is looking for an analytical solution to an integrals involving spherical Bessel functions. They state that they are no expert in math and are struggling with the problem. They ask for help from someone who is and the person provides a summary of the article.
  • #1
Ben Wilson
90
16
Hi, I'm no expert in math so I'm struggling with solving these integrals, I believe there's an analytical solution (maybe in http://www.hfa1.physics.msstate.edu/046.pdf).
$$V_{1234}=\int_{x=0}^{\infty}\int_{y=0}^{\infty}d^3\pmb{x}d^3\pmb{y}\, j_{l_1}^*(a_1\pmb{x})j_{l_2}(a_2\pmb{x})|\pmb{x}-\pmb{y}|^{-1}j_{l_3}^*(a_3\pmb{y})j_{l_4}(a_4\pmb{y})$$
where $j_l(r)$ are spherical Bessel functions. Does anyone know how to solve these integrals analytically?
 
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  • #2
  • #3
DrDu said:
I would try to express the spherical Bessel functions in terms of eq. 10.54.2 from http://dlmf.nist.gov/10.54
i don't know how this helps, could you elaborate on your next step?

what if the integral was... $$
V_{1234}=\int_{x=0}^{R}\int_{y=0}^{R}dxdy\, j_{l_1}^*(z_{l_1}x/R)j_{l_2}(z_{l_2}x/R)|x-y|^{-1}j_{l_3}^*(z_{l_3}y/R)j_{l_4}(z_{l_4}y/R) $$
where z_l is the first root of the l-th order spherical Bessel function
 
  • #4
I think it would be helpful if you could state your original problem.
 
  • #5
DrDu said:
I think it would be helpful if you could state your original problem.
im lookin for an analytical way of solving these integrals, specifically the second one, for use as a basis set in a full CI calculation on idealized colloidal nanostructures, hence infinite spherical well solutions - the bessel functions :)

if i turn my integrand into a product of integrals themselve, does this lead to some simplifications? how does this work?
 
  • #6
Ben Wilson said:
im lookin for an analytical way of solving these integrals, specifically the second one, for use as a basis set in a full CI calculation on idealized colloidal nanostructures, hence infinite spherical well solutions - the bessel functions :)

if i turn my integrand into a product of integrals themselve, does this lead to some simplifications? how does this work?
and to give you a clue of my level of math, I have no idea what a Wronskian is haha

I've tried solving this using mathematica but i can't figure out how to do it.
really appreciate your help btw
 
  • #7
DrDu said:
I think it would be helpful if you could state your original problem.
to further elaborate, I'm trying show that a CI code works, and so I chose to have single particle states in an inf sph potential thinking that my Coulomb integrals i need in my CI hamiltonian for my system would have some nice neat forms. I'm starting to doubt this haha.

I'm contemplating switching to a cubic potential but that impacts on demonstrating angular momenta in the way I want to from my CI code. Would you expect things to be easier for me with solutions to a cubic potential?(i.e. same integrals but the bessell functions are replaced with sines and cosines)
 
  • #8
Ben Wilson said:
i don't know how this helps, could you elaborate on your next step?

what if the integral was... $$
V_{1234}=\int_{x=0}^{R}\int_{y=0}^{R}dxdy\, j_{l_1}^*(z_{l_1}x/R)j_{l_2}(z_{l_2}x/R)|x-y|^{-1}j_{l_3}^*(z_{l_3}y/R)j_{l_4}(z_{l_4}y/R) $$
where z_l is the first root of the l-th order spherical Bessel function
Don't forget the ##x^2## and ##y^2## from the volume elements!
 
  • #9
Ben, have a look at "Application of the Legendre polynomials in physics":
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legendre_polynomials
The formula stated there is used to convert the coulomb operator into a sum of two operators depending only on x and y and some Legendre polynomials.
The integral over the latter together with the angular dependence of your wavefunctions restricts the summation to a small number of terms.
The remaining integrals involve only products of two Bessel functions and powers of x or y. This is the kind of integrals covered by the article you cited.
I expect that this problem has been tackled before, probably in nuclear physics. So maybe you find a solution there more readily.
Edit: Have a look here:
http://k2.chem.uh.edu/library/Index/UnCatagorized/PRB35118.pdf
 
Last edited:
  • #10
DrDu said:
Don't forget the ##x^2## and ##y^2## from the volume elements!
do you mean $$d^3\pmb{x} \to x^2 dx$$ or something else?
 
  • #11
Ben Wilson said:
do you mean $$d^3\pmb{x} \to x^2 dx$$ or something else?
yes, I meant this.
 

1. What are Coulomb integrals of spherical Bessel functions?

Coulomb integrals of spherical Bessel functions are mathematical expressions used in quantum mechanics to calculate the interaction between two charged particles. They represent the overlap of the wavefunctions of the two particles and are essential for understanding the behavior of systems with multiple particles.

2. How are Coulomb integrals of spherical Bessel functions calculated?

Coulomb integrals of spherical Bessel functions are calculated using complex mathematical equations involving spherical Bessel functions, which are a type of special functions used to describe the behavior of waves in spherical coordinates. These equations can be solved using numerical methods or approximated using analytical techniques.

3. What is the significance of Coulomb integrals of spherical Bessel functions?

Coulomb integrals of spherical Bessel functions play a crucial role in many areas of physics, including atomic and molecular physics, solid-state physics, and nuclear physics. They provide a way to calculate the energy and properties of multi-particle systems, which is essential for understanding the behavior of matter at the atomic and subatomic levels.

4. How do Coulomb integrals of spherical Bessel functions relate to the Coulomb potential?

The Coulomb potential is a fundamental concept in electromagnetism that describes the force between two charged particles. Coulomb integrals of spherical Bessel functions are used to calculate the energy of the Coulomb potential between two particles, taking into account their wave-like nature and the overlap of their wavefunctions.

5. What are some applications of Coulomb integrals of spherical Bessel functions?

Coulomb integrals of spherical Bessel functions have numerous applications in physics and chemistry, including calculating the energy levels and properties of atoms and molecules, understanding the behavior of electrons in solids, and modeling nuclear interactions. They are also used in computational chemistry and other numerical simulations to predict the behavior of complex systems.

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