Normalizing etc. Wavefunction of hydrogen atom

AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on normalizing the wavefunction of a hydrogen atom, specifically the equation ψ(r,θ,φ)=√(6π)A√r e^(-r/a). The user attempts to separate the wavefunction into radial and angular components, using the spherical harmonic Y_{0,0} for normalization. They derive the normalization constant A as 1/(3π²a⁴) but express uncertainty about its correctness due to the lack of available solutions. Other participants suggest that separating the wavefunction may be unnecessary and that integrating over all space would suffice, while also addressing related questions about energy eigenfunctions and ground state probabilities. The conversation highlights the importance of correctly applying normalization techniques in quantum mechanics.
Kentaxel
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Homework Statement



Find the constant A such that the equation

\psi(r,\theta,\varphi)=\sqrt{6\pi}A\sqrt{r}e^{-r/a}

Wich describes one electron in a hydrogenatom, is normalized

The Attempt at a Solution


I figured this equation is seperable in the form

\psi(r,\theta,\varphi)=R(r)Y_{l,m}(\theta,\varphi)

Such that Y_{l,m} is the first spherical harmonic

Y_{0,0}=\frac{1}{\sqrt{4\pi}}

Enabling me to write ψ in the form

\sqrt{24}{\pi}A\sqrt{r}e^{-r/a}Y_{0,0}(\theta\varphi)

and since the spherical harmonics are all normalized it is suficient to normalize this acording to

\int\left|\sqrt{24}{\pi}A\sqrt{r}e^{-r/a}\right|^2 r^2 dr =1

Which gives me the result

A=\frac{1}{3\pi^2 a^4}the problem is just that there is no solution available and I am not exactly 100% that this is correct so i would appreciate some input.
 
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Your solving way is right. But why you choose l=0, m=o. I think you have to write in general form i.e.,

I attached file.
 

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Kentaxel said:

Homework Statement



Find the constant A such that the equation

\psi(r,\theta,\varphi)=\sqrt{6\pi}A\sqrt{r}e^{-r/a}

Wich describes one electron in a hydrogenatom, is normalized

The Attempt at a Solution


I figured this equation is seperable in the form

\psi(r,\theta,\varphi)=R(r)Y_{l,m}(\theta,\varphi)

Such that Y_{l,m} is the first spherical harmonic

Y_{0,0}=\frac{1}{\sqrt{4\pi}}

Enabling me to write ψ in the form

\sqrt{24}{\pi}A\sqrt{r}e^{-r/a}Y_{0,0}(\theta\varphi)

and since the spherical harmonics are all normalized it is suficient to normalize this acording to

\int\left|\sqrt{24}{\pi}A\sqrt{r}e^{-r/a}\right|^2 r^2 dr =1

Which gives me the result

A=\frac{1}{3\pi^2 a^4}


the problem is just that there is no solution available and I am not exactly 100% that this is correct so i would appreciate some input.
Method seems fine. Viewing it as a spherical harmonic though is unnecessary. All you needed to do was integrate the given wave function over all space and the angular contributions would give 4pi (full solid angle).
 
The reason i choose to separate it was because of the following questions which are

Show that ψ is not an energy eigenfunction.

and

Compute the probability to find the system in the groundstate of the hamilton operator when measuring the energy.

Where regarding the first one i thought that in writing the given wavefunction in that form it was obvious that it is not one of the solutions listed for an electron in a hydrogenic atom. This however feels allot like a guess on my part.

For the second one i used the fact that i knew l and m was 0 and tried to solve it by taking \left|c_{1,0,0}\right| ^2 = \left|<\psi_{1,0,0}|\psi > \right| ^2

Otherwise how would i know what groundstate psi to use?

Edit: actually since the ground state is non degenerate i suppose that would not matter?
 
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