Recent content by tshafer

  1. T

    Counting and Grouping Feynman Diagrams

    I'm working through Srednicki's QFT text, and I'm continuously vexed by the various numerical factors in diagrams and vertices, as well as the grouping of diagrams. For example, in Chapter 10 (pg 75) Srednicki treats basic \phi\phi\rightarrow\phi\phi scattering processes in \phi^3. He claims...
  2. T

    Poles in the Lippmann-Schwinger Equation

    While deriving the Helmholtz Green function in Sakurai we come across the integral \int_{-\infty}^{\infty}q\,dq\,\frac{e^{iq|\vec x-\vec x'|}-e^{-iq|\vec x-\vec x'|}}{q^2-k^2\mp i\varepsilon'} This equation has poles at q \simeq \pm k\pm i\varepsilon', however when doing the residue calculation...
  3. T

    Confused about Parity Operator & Degeneracy in Quantum Mechanics

    Thanks — I thought so, too, but this is my first serious exposure to parity or discrete symmetries at all. I'm making an attempt at trying to actually understand it rather than just floating along.
  4. T

    Confused about Parity Operator & Degeneracy in Quantum Mechanics

    The statement is along the lines of "For commuting H and P, if H is degenerate its eigenkets do not have definite parity." i.e. there is room for wiggling out of this due to degeneracy. We also talked about the double-well potential in the context of symmetry breaking... but I don't claim to...
  5. T

    Confused about Parity Operator & Degeneracy in Quantum Mechanics

    We're working on the parity operator in my second semester quantum mechanics class and there is one point I am confused about, either in the definition of degeneracy or in the parity operator itself. We talked about a theorem whereby the parity operator and the Hamiltonian cannot share...
  6. T

    Trivial sign problem Please set me straight

    Great, thanks! It's things like this that I really should have nailed down by now... but better to get it now than right before the written exam, I suppose.
  7. T

    Trivial sign problem Please set me straight

    It would have to point from =Q to -Q (outward radial), no? That's why I'm confused... I could take the absolute value to get the correct value for the capacitance but still... maybe it's confusion in calculating capacitance? As best practice should one always do the integration against the...
  8. T

    Trivial sign problem Please set me straight

    I'm calculating the capacitance of a set of spherical shells of radii b > a. To do this, I place a charge +Q on the inner shell and -Q on the outer shell so that I get the electric field vector pointing outward \vec E = \frac{Q}{4\pi\varepsilon_0} \frac{\hat r}{r^2}. Finding the...
  9. T

    Lagrange's Undetermined Multipliers

    Homework Statement We have a hoop of radius r and mass m resting on a cylinder of radius R which rolls without slipping on the cylinder under the influence of gravity. If the hoop begins rolling from rest at the top of the cylinder, at what point does the hoop fall off of the cylinder...
  10. T

    Ridiculous Question (Derivatives)

    That's what I thought, too, but I was unsure. Trying to de-rust, here, heh.
  11. T

    Ridiculous Question (Derivatives)

    Homework Statement Under what conditions may I change temporal and spatial derivatives? I cannot remember for the life of me. EG: \frac{\partial }{\partial t}\left( \nabla \cdot \mathbf{A} \right) = \nabla \cdot \left( \frac{\partial \mathbf{A}}{\partial t}\right) Thanks.
  12. T

    Schools Grad School Selection: Comparing UMN, Georgia Tech & NC State

    For what it's worth, I was very impressed when I visited N.C. State's department - nice people, nice facilities, and $$. Having said that, I'm headed to Chapel Hill. :D Tom
  13. T

    Studying Mechanics and E&M Books for Self-Study?

    I agree... some of the problems are probably out of reach in your context, but the book is very well written.
  14. T

    Admissions Fall 2009 Graduate Admissions Thread

    Apparently the PGRE isn't everything... I got into UNC Chapel Hill for HEP Theory/Gravitation today! :biggrin:
  15. T

    How Can I Improve My Personal Statement for Graduate School?

    One problem I'm having is keeping mine neat and orderly. I'm unclear if I should clearly separate paragraphs on why I want to go on to graduate school from why I am qualified... or if I should clearly separate why I am qualified from what my research interests are. I think I am now thinking...
Back
Top