- #1
AlonsoMcLaren
- 90
- 2
We know that in Cartesian position basis the representation of momentum is -ihbar (d/dx)
Consider a cylindrical/spherical/whatever curvilinear coordinates. To make life simple, consider a particle constrained to move on a circle so that its position can described by θ only. Suppose we express the wavefunction as a function of θ, not x. The system has an Lagrangian from which we can find the conjugate momentum pθ
Can we thus declare that pθ can be represented by -ihbar (d/dθ) in the θ basis?
Consider a cylindrical/spherical/whatever curvilinear coordinates. To make life simple, consider a particle constrained to move on a circle so that its position can described by θ only. Suppose we express the wavefunction as a function of θ, not x. The system has an Lagrangian from which we can find the conjugate momentum pθ
Can we thus declare that pθ can be represented by -ihbar (d/dθ) in the θ basis?