Dirac delta Definition and 323 Threads

I am not understanding something from my textbook. This is related to Fermi's Golden rule. It's about what happens when the matrix element of the perturbation H' ends up being a Dirac delta for chosen normalization. Here is Fermi's Golden rule. \Gamma_{ba} = 2\pi \left|\langle b \mid H'\mid a...

If you ask me define Dirac delta function, i can easily define it and prove its properties using laplacian or complex analysis method. But still i don't understand what is the use of DIRAC DELTA FUNCTION in quantum mechanics. As i have done some reading Quantum mechanics from Introduction to...

Hello! By manipulating Maxwell's equation, with the potential vector \mathbf{A} and the Lorentz' gauge, one can obtain the following vector wave equation: ∇^2 \mathbf{A}(\mathbf{r}) + k^2 \mathbf{A}(\mathbf{r}) = -\mu \mathbf{J}(\mathbf{r}) The first step for the solution is to consider a...

Homework Statement I need to prove for arbitrary functions φ(x) that: \lim_{\lambda \to 0} \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} \frac{1}{\sqrt{2 \pi} \lambda} exp\left( \frac{-x^{2}}{2 \lambda^{2}} \right) \varphi(x) dx = \varphi(0), which, in the sense of distributions is basically the delta...

I have been reviewing some details on the Dirac Delta function and I've hit a little bit of a road block with trying to wrap my head around how the Translation/Sifting property of the function is justified. Now according to my text the overall definition is the generalized function with the...

Homework Statement Find the inner product of f(x) = σ(x-x0) and g(x) = cos(x) Homework Equations ∫f(x)*g(x)dx Limits of integration are -∞ to ∞ The Attempt at a Solution First of all, what is the complex conjugate of σ(x-x0)? Is it just σ(x-x0)? And I'm not sure how to...

Homework Statement I'm specifically having trouble with taking the Fourier transform of f(t) in order to sketch F(w) and also to move on with the rest of the problem. Homework Equations f(t) = (5+rect(t/4))cos(60pi*t) mixed_signal = cos(60pi*t) The Attempt at a Solution I attempted to...

Homework Statement This is just an example, not a specific problem. So if I have ∫σ(sinx), for example, and my limits of integration are, for example, 1 to 10, what I need to do to solve that is to find a value of x that would make the argument of the delta function 0. So for sinx, 0 makes...

Homework Statement The Potential V(r) is given: A*e^(-lambda*r)/r, A and lambda are constants From this potential, I have to calculate: E(r), Rho(r) -- charge density, and Q -- total charge. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution I know that E(r) is simply minus...

Homework Statement Prove this theorem regarding a property of the Dirac Delta Function: $$\int_{-\infty}^{\infty}f(x)\delta'(x-a)dx=-f'(a)$$ (by using integration by parts) Homework Equations We know that δ(x) can be defined as...

Does the Dirac delta have a residue? It seems like it might, but I don't know how to attack it, since I really know very little about distributions. For example, the Dirac delta does not have a Laurent-expansion, so how would you define its residue?

Hi All, I found (Wikipedia page on Helmotz's decomposition theorem) the follwoing equality, which puzzles me: $$\delta(x-y) = - (4 \pi)^{-1} \nabla^{2} \frac{1}{\vert x - y \vert}$$ I am not sure I understand, the r.h.s seems to me a proper function. The page mentions this a sa position...

What does the Dirac Delta Function do? ##\delta^3(\vec{r})## How do you evaluate it? What are its values from -inf to +inf?

It's been quite some time now since I decided to stop self-studying physics and to pay more attention to the math behind. I'm working towards gaining an understanding of 100% rigorous mathematics for now. One thing that has always bothered me is the Dirac delta function. What I want to know...

Homework Statement Good day. May I know, for Dirac Delta Function, Is δ(x+y)=δ(x-y)? The Attempt at a Solution Since δ(x)=δ(-x), I would say δ(x+y)=δ(x-y). Am I correct?

From what I can tell, it seems that 1/x + δ(x) = 1/x because if we think of both 1/x and the dirac delta function as the following peicewise functions: 1/x = 1/x for x < 0 1/x = undefined for x = 0 1/x = 1/x for x > 0 δ(x) = 0 for x < 0 δ(x) = undefined for x = 0 δ(x) = 0 for x > 0...

Homework Statement Consider the double Dirac delta function V(x) = -α(δ(x+a) + δ(x-a)). Using this potential, find the (normalized) wave functions, sketch them, and determine the # of bound states. Homework Equations Time-Independent Schrodinger's Equation: Eψ = (-h^2)/2m (∂^2/∂x^2)ψ +...

In Griffith's Introduction to Quantum Mechanics, on page 56, he says that for scattering states (E > 0), the general solution for the Dirac delta potential function V(x) = -aδ(x) (once plugged into the Schrodinger Equation), is the following: ψ(x) = Ae^(ikx) + Be^(-ikx), where k = (√2mE)/h...

In page 555, Appendix B of Intro to electrodynamics by D Griffiths: \nabla\cdot \vec F=-\nabla^2U=-\frac{1}{4\pi}\int D\nabla^2\left(\frac{1}{\vec{\vartheta}}\right)d\tau'=\int D(\vec r')\delta^3(\vec r-\vec r')d\tau'=D(\vec r) where ##\;\vec{\vartheta}=\vec r-\vec r'##. Is it supposed to be...

I want to proof [SIZE="4"](1)##\delta(x)=\delta(-x)## and [SIZE="4"](2) ## \delta(kx)=\frac{1}{|k|}\delta(x)## [SIZE="4"](1) let ##u=-x\Rightarrow\;du=-dx## \int_{-\infty}^{\infty}f(x)\delta(x)dx=(0) but \int_{-\infty}^{\infty}f(x)\delta(-x)dx=-\int_{-\infty}^{\infty}f(-u)\delta(u)du=-f(0) I...

My question is in Griffiths Introduction to Electrodynamics 3rd edition p48. It said Two expressions involving delta function ( say ##D_1(x)\; and \;D_2(x)##) are considered equal if: \int_{-\infty}^{\infty}f(x)D_1(x)dx=\int_{-\infty}^{\infty}f(x)D_2(x)dx\;6 for all( ordinary) functions f(x)...

I know this probably belongs in one of the math sections, but I did not quite know where to put it, so I put it in here since I am studying Electrodynamics from Griffiths, and in the first chapter he talks about Dirac Delta function. From what I've gathered, Dirac Delta function is 0 for...

Hi All, so I'm trying to tackle this DEQ: f''[x] = f[x] DiracDelta[x - a] - b, with robin boundary conditions f'[0] == f[0], f'[c] == f[c] where a,b, and c are constants. If you're curious, I'm getting this because I'm trying to treat steady state in a 1D diffusion system where...

\nabla \cdot \frac{\mathbf{r}}{|r|^3}=4 \pi \delta ^3(\mathbf{r}) What's the proof for this, and what's wrong with the following analysis? The vector field \frac{\mathbf{r}}{|r|^3}=\frac{1}{r^2}\hat{r} can also be written \mathbf{F}=\frac{x}{\sqrt{x^2+y^2+z^2}^3}\hat{x}+...

In texts about dirac delta,you often can find sentences like "The delta function is sometimes thought of as an infinitely high, infinitely thin spike at the origin". If we take into account the important property of dirac delta: \int_\mathbb{R} \delta(x) dx=1 and the fact that it is zero...

What does the square of a Dirac delta function look like? Is the approximate graph the same as that of the delta function?

I'm trying to understand how the algebraic properties of the Dirac delta function might be passed onto the argument of the delta function. One way to go from a function to its argument is to derive a Taylor series expansion of the function in terms of its argument. Then you are dealing with...

Hi, I try to prove, that function f_n = \frac{\sin{nx}}{\pi x} converges to dirac delta distribution (in the meaning of distributions sure). On our course we postulated lemma, that guarantee us this if f_n satisfy some conditions. So I need to show, that \lim_{n\rightarrow...

Hello, Is this correct: \int [f_j(x)\delta (x-x_i) f_k(x)\delta (x-x_i)]dx = f_j(x_i)f_k(x_i) If it is not, what must the left hand side look like in order to obtain the right handside, where the right hand side multiplies two constants? Thanks!

Hi there, I'm trying to comprehend Dirac Delta functions. Here's something to help me understand them; let's say I want to formulate Newton's second law F=MA (for point masses) in DDF form. Is this correct: F_i = \int [m_i\delta (x-x_i) a_i\delta (x-x_i)]dx Or is it this: F_i = [\int...

Homework Statement I am trying to integrate the function \int _{-\infty }^{\infty }(t-1)\delta\left[\frac{2}{3}t-\frac{3}{2}\right]dt Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution I think the answer should be \frac{5}{4} because \frac{2}{3}t-\frac{3}{2}=0 when t=9/4. then (9/4-1) = 5/4...

Does the Dirac delta fuction have a residue? Given the close parallels between the sifting property and Cauchy's integral formula + residue theory, I feel like it should. Unfortunately, I have no idea how they tie together (if they do at all).

Homework Statement compute the integral: \int_ {-\infty}^\infty \mathrm{e}^{ikx}\delta(k^2x^2-1)\,\mathrm{d}xHomework Equations none that I have The Attempt at a Solution I don't actually have any work by hand done for this because this is more complex than any dirac delta integral I have...

Hi all, I'm familiar with the fact that the dirac delta function (when defined within an integral is even) Meaning delta(x)= delta(-x) on the interval -a to b when integral signs are present I want to prove this this relationship but I don't know how to do it other than with a limit...

hello, Please attached snapshot. Does the integral 7.9 equal to 0.5 \inthμσ dzμ/dτ dzσ/dτdτ ? I'm confused as to the fourth power of Dirac's Delta. Then where does the derivative on x go ? For more on this, see MTW pg180 thanks

Hi All, I have a problem in understanding the concept of dirac delta function. Let say I have a function, q(r,z,t) and its defined as q(r,z,t)= δ(t)Q(r,z), where δ(t) is dirac delta function and Q(r,z) is just the spatial distribution. My question are: 1. How can I find the time derivative...

I have been wondering exactly how one would express the Dirac delta in arbitrary spaces with curvature. And that leads me to ask if the Dirac delta function has a coordinate independent expression. Is there an intrinsic definition of a Dirac delta function free of coordinates and metrics? Or as...

Homework Statement I have to integrate: \int_0^x \delta(x-y)f(y)dy Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution I know that the dirac delta function is zero everywhere except at 0 it is equal to infinity: \delta(0)=\infty I have to express the integral in terms of function...

Homework Statement L[t^{2} - t^{2}δ(t-1)] Homework Equations L[ t^{n}f(t)] = (-1^{n}) \frac{d^{n}}{ds^{n}} L[f(t)] L[δ-t] = e^-ts The Attempt at a Solution My teacher wrote \frac{2}{s^{3}} -e^{s} as the answer. I got \frac{2}{s^{3}} + \frac{e^-s}{s} + 2 \frac{e^-s}{s^2} + \frac{2e^-s}{s^3}

Homework Statement Homework Equations I really wish they existed in my notes! *cry*. All I can think of is that integrating or in other words summing the dirac delta functions for all t, would be infinite? None the less the laplace transform exist since its asked for in the question and i...

Homework Statement The question was way too long so i took a snap shot of it http://sphotos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/397320_358155177605479_1440801198_n.jpg Homework Equations The equations are all included in the snapshotThe Attempt at a Solution So for question A I've done what the...

Homework Statement This is an issue I'm having with understanding a section of maths rather than a coursework question. I have a stage of the density function on the full phase space ρ(p,x); ρ(p,x) = \frac {1}{\Omega(E)} \delta (\epsilon(p,x) - E) where \epsilon(p,x) is the...

The Dirac delta function is defined as: \int_{ - \infty }^{ + \infty } {\delta (x - {x_0})dx} = 1 Or more generally the integral is, \int_{ - \infty }^{ + \infty } {\delta (\int_{{x_0}}^x {dx'} )dx} But if the metric varies with x, then the integral becomes, \int_{ - \infty }^{ + \infty }...

Prove that x \frac{d}{dx} [\delta (x)] = -\delta (x) this is problem 1.45 out of griffiths book by the way. Homework Equations I attempted to use integration by parts as suggest by griffiths using f = x , g' = \frac{d}{dx} This yields x [\delta (x)] - \int \delta (x)dx next I tried...

Homework Statement I am using the time differentiation property to find the Fourier transform of the following function: Homework Equations f(t)=2r(t)-2r(t-1)-2u(t-2) The Attempt at a Solution f'(t)=2u(t)-2u(t-1)-2δ(t-2) f''(t)=2δ(t)-2δ(t-1)-?? Can somebody explain what the...

The Dirac delta "function" is often given as : δ(x) = ∞ | x = 0 δ(x) = 0 | x \neq 0 and ∫δ(x)f(x)dx = f(0). What about δ(cx)? By u=cx substitution into above integral is, ∫δ(cx)f(x)dx = ∫δ(u)f(u/c)du = 1/c f(0). But intuitively, the graph of δ(cx) is the same as the graph of...

I originally asked this in the Calculus & Analysis forum. But perhaps this is better suited as a question in Abstract algebra. For the set of all Dirac delta functions that have a difference for an argument, we have the property that: \int_{ - \infty }^\infty {{\rm{\delta (x -...

If it's a dirac delta doesn't it mean it's infinite when x=y? Or is it a sort of kronecker where it's equal to one but the indices x and y are continuous? I'm confused.

Is it possible to take the variation of the Dirac delta function, by that I mean take the functional derivative of the Dirac delta function?

Hello I'm trying to figure out how to evaluate(in the distribution sense) \delta'(g(x)). Where \delta(x) is the dirac delta function. Please notice that what I want to evaluate is not \frac{d}{dx}(\delta(g(x))) but the derivative of the delta function calculated in g(x). If anyone could post...