3D harmonic oscillator- expected value of distance

Rorshach
Messages
135
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


Hey! I got this problem about 3D harmonic oscillator, here it goes:
A particle can move in three dimensions in a harmonic oscillator potential
##V(x,y,z)=\frac{1}{2}m\omega^2(x^2+y^2+z^2)##. Determine the ground state wave function. Check by explicitly counting that it is properly normalized.
Calculate the expectation value ##<r>##, where ##r=\sqrt{x^2+y^2+z^2}## is a distance to the origin.

Homework Equations


##\alpha=\sqrt{\frac{m\omega}{\hbar}}##
##\omega=\sqrt{\frac{k}{m}}##
##V(x,y,z)=\frac{1}{2}m\omega^2(x^2+y^2+z^2)##
##\psi(x,y,z)==X(x)Y(y)Z(z)##
##-\frac{\hbar^2}{2m}[\frac{\xi^2\psi}{\xi x^2}+\frac{\xi^2\psi}{\xi y^2}+\frac{\xi^2\psi}{\xi z^2}]+\frac{k}{2}(x^2+y^2+z^2)\psi=E\psi##
##E_x+E_y+E_z=E##

The Attempt at a Solution


I pretty much calculated the wave function for the ground state, and it came out to be equal to ##\psi_0(x,y,z)=(\frac{\alpha}{\pi})^\frac{3}{4} exp(-\alpha (x^2+y^2+z^2))##
with energy equal to ##\frac{3}{2}\hbar\omega##. I don't understand what do they mean by explicitly calculating proper normalization, and I have trouble with calculating the expectation value for the distance from the point of origin. My first guess was to do this:
##\int_{-\infty}^{+\infty}\int_{-\infty}^{+\infty}\int_{-\infty}^{+\infty} \psi^{*}(x,y,z) r \psi(x,y,z)\,dx\,dy\,dz.## But it was quite a while since I've done multpile integrals, so I used wolframalpha for this:
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?...)^(3/4))*exp(-a(x^2+y^2+z^2)(1/2)))^2)+dxdydz
I am pretty shure that notation is wrong, but you probably get my point. I don't know if my way of thinking is correct. Help?
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
Rorshach said:
I don't understand what do they mean by explicitly calculating proper normalization.
In general: &lt; ψ_{i} | ψ_{j} &gt; = δ_{ij}.
Use the normalization condition ∫^{\infty}_{-\infty}dxdydz|ψ(x,y,z)|^{2}=1 to check the ground state is properly normalized.

To calculate &lt; r &gt; use spherical coordinates.
 
Thread 'Need help understanding this figure on energy levels'
This figure is from "Introduction to Quantum Mechanics" by Griffiths (3rd edition). It is available to download. It is from page 142. I am hoping the usual people on this site will give me a hand understanding what is going on in the figure. After the equation (4.50) it says "It is customary to introduce the principal quantum number, ##n##, which simply orders the allowed energies, starting with 1 for the ground state. (see the figure)" I still don't understand the figure :( Here is...
Thread 'Understanding how to "tack on" the time wiggle factor'
The last problem I posted on QM made it into advanced homework help, that is why I am putting it here. I am sorry for any hassle imposed on the moderators by myself. Part (a) is quite easy. We get $$\sigma_1 = 2\lambda, \mathbf{v}_1 = \begin{pmatrix} 0 \\ 0 \\ 1 \end{pmatrix} \sigma_2 = \lambda, \mathbf{v}_2 = \begin{pmatrix} 1/\sqrt{2} \\ 1/\sqrt{2} \\ 0 \end{pmatrix} \sigma_3 = -\lambda, \mathbf{v}_3 = \begin{pmatrix} 1/\sqrt{2} \\ -1/\sqrt{2} \\ 0 \end{pmatrix} $$ There are two ways...
Back
Top