Can a Hamiltonian with non-spherical potential commute with l^2?

Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
2 replies · 1K views
Feelingfine
Messages
2
Reaction score
1
I know that in the case of central potential V(r) the hamiltonian of the system always commutes with l^2 operator. But what happends in this case?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
The Hamiltonian ##H=L_z## commutes with ##L^2## but is not rotation invariant. Adding a multiple of ##H=L_z## to a rotation invariant ##H## gives other counterexamples.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: dextercioby, Feelingfine and PeroK
It's shown here that ##\hat{L}^2## and ##\hat{x}^2## commute

https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/93533/commutator-of-l2-and-x2-p2

So put a particle in three dimensions to a field described by a harmonic oscillator potential, but only in the x-direction

##V(x,y,z) = ax^2##

That's not rotation invariant, but still commutes with the ##\hat{L}^2## (and hence the whole ##\hat{H}## commutes with ##\hat{L}^2##).
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: vanhees71