3D harmonic oscillator- expected value of distance

In summary, the conversation discusses a problem involving a particle moving in a 3D harmonic oscillator potential. The ground state wave function and energy are calculated, and the question of proper normalization and expectation value is raised. The proper normalization is checked using the normalization condition, and the expectation value is calculated using spherical coordinates.
  • #1
Rorshach
136
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?
 
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  • #2
Rorshach said:
I don't understand what do they mean by explicitly calculating proper normalization.
In general: [itex] < ψ_{i} | ψ_{j} > = δ_{ij}. [/itex]
Use the normalization condition [itex] ∫^{\infty}_{-\infty}dxdydz|ψ(x,y,z)|^{2}=1 [/itex] to check the ground state is properly normalized.

To calculate [itex] < r > [/itex] use spherical coordinates.
 

1. What is a 3D harmonic oscillator?

A 3D harmonic oscillator is a physical system that exhibits simple harmonic motion in three dimensions. It is often used to model the behavior of a particle in a potential well, such as an atom in a molecule or a molecule in a solid.

2. What is the expected value of distance for a 3D harmonic oscillator?

The expected value of distance for a 3D harmonic oscillator is the average distance that the particle will be from its equilibrium position over a long period of time. This value is given by the square root of the sum of the squares of the average values of the position in each dimension.

3. How do you calculate the expected value of distance for a 3D harmonic oscillator?

The expected value of distance for a 3D harmonic oscillator can be calculated using the following formula:

&#8730; (x^2 + y^2 + z^2)
Where x, y, and z are the average values of the position in each dimension.

4. What does the expected value of distance tell us about a 3D harmonic oscillator?

The expected value of distance gives us an idea of the average distance that the particle will be from its equilibrium position. It can also provide information about the energy of the system and the amplitude of the oscillations.

5. How does the expected value of distance change with different parameters in a 3D harmonic oscillator?

The expected value of distance can change with different parameters in a 3D harmonic oscillator, such as the mass of the particle, the spring constant, and the amplitude of the oscillations. Generally, increasing the mass or the spring constant will decrease the expected value of distance, while increasing the amplitude will increase it.

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