Degeneracy of hydrogen energy levels

This leads to the expected energy eigenvalues for the restricted system.In summary, the conversation discusses a hydrogen atom in an infinite potential on one side of the nucleus and the requirement for wavefunctions to be odd to satisfy boundary conditions at ##x=0##. The parity of spherical harmonics limits the allowed states to those with odd ##l## values, resulting in the ground state having ##n=2## and the first excited state having ##n=4##. The degeneracy is determined by the floor of half of the possible ##l## values, leading to the expected energy eigenvalues for the restricted system. It is reasonable to assume that the
  • #1
Silicon-Based
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Homework Statement
Find the energy degeneracy of a hydrogen atom with infinite potential barrier
Relevant Equations
##|m| \leq l < n##
##P = (-1)^l##
I'm considering a hydrogen atom placed in an infinite potential on one side of the nucleus, i.e. ##V(x) = +\infty## for ##x < 0##. I require the wavefunctions to be odd in order to satisfy the boundry condition at ##x=0##. By parity of the spherical harmonics only states with ##l## odd are allowed, so the ground state and first excited state should respectively have ##n=2## and ##n=4##. Since even ##l## are excluded, the number of possible values of ##l## is ##\lfloor{n/2}\rfloor##, so the degeneracy is:

$$
g_n = \sum_{l=1,\, l \,\text{odd}}^{n-1 \, (n\, \text{even}),\,n-2 \, (n \,\text{odd})} (2l+1) = \lfloor{n/2}\rfloor(\lfloor{n/2}\rfloor+1)
$$

Is my reasoning above correct? Is it reasonable to assume that the energy eigenvalues have the same form as for the usual hydrogen atom?
 
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  • #2
Yes. The differential equation is same as original Hydrogen atom problem with the restriction. As you have correctly determined only odd values are the solutions so as to satisfy boundary conditions. The degeneracy is now over those restricted ##l##
 
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1. What is degeneracy in terms of hydrogen energy levels?

Degeneracy refers to the phenomenon where multiple energy levels of a quantum system, such as hydrogen atoms, have the same energy value. This means that electrons occupying these degenerate energy levels have the same energy and cannot be distinguished from one another.

2. Why do hydrogen energy levels exhibit degeneracy?

The degeneracy of hydrogen energy levels is a result of the symmetry of the hydrogen atom. The nucleus and the electron(s) in a hydrogen atom are bound together by the electromagnetic force, creating a spherical potential. This symmetry allows for multiple energy levels to have the same energy value.

3. How does degeneracy affect the behavior of electrons in hydrogen atoms?

Degeneracy affects the behavior of electrons in hydrogen atoms by allowing them to occupy the same energy level. This means that electrons can have the same energy without violating the Pauli exclusion principle, which states that no two electrons can have the same set of quantum numbers.

4. Can degeneracy be observed in other atoms besides hydrogen?

Yes, degeneracy can be observed in other atoms besides hydrogen. However, it is more common in simpler systems with fewer particles, such as hydrogen. More complex atoms with multiple electrons have more energy levels and therefore are less likely to exhibit degeneracy.

5. How does degeneracy play a role in the spectral lines of hydrogen?

The degeneracy of energy levels in hydrogen is responsible for the appearance of spectral lines in its emission spectrum. When an electron makes a transition from a higher energy level to a lower one, the energy released is equal to the energy difference between the two levels. Since multiple energy levels have the same energy value, this results in the emission of photons with the same energy, creating spectral lines.

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