Orbitals while transitioning from free electron to ground state

In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of electron orbitals transitioning from an unbounded or weakly bounded state to the ground state. It is mentioned that the Coulomb potential always has an infinite number of bound states, making a transition from unbound to bound possible. The conversation also mentions that the atomic hydrogen orbitals can have various shapes, not just spherically symmetric ones, and that a localized electron does not have a single orbital state. The concept of Rydberg atoms and coherent states is also brought up as a possible model to explain the transition. Finally, it is suggested that models used in condensed matter physics may be more applicable in this situation.
  • #1
rconde01
1
0
I was thinking of putting together a visualization of electron orbitals as it transitions from unbounded or weakly bounded state to the ground state. However, it occurred to me that orbitals are symmetric about the proton. At some point the probability distribution must become asymmetric eventually approaching a point. What am I missing?
 
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  • #2
The Coulomb potential always has an infinite number of bound states however weak you chose the central charge. So there won't be a transition from unbound to bound.
 
  • #4
Dr. Du, of course you can transition from unbound to bound. This is called recombination emission.

The "s", "p", "d", "f"... orbitals are just one way of representing the state, which can have almost arbitrary shape of the electron distribution. The arbitrary shape will be some superposition of orbitals. It is analogous to how an arbitrary wave is a superposition of frequency components. Just as a localized wave-packet doesn't have a single frequency, a localized electron doesn't have a single orbital state.

A weakly bounded atom is called a Rydberg atom. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rydberg_atom
This is a case where a classical representation (planetary model) of an atom can be useful. The corresponding quantum state is some kind of coherent state of the Rydberg atom which mixes angular momentum states.

You might be able to find something by searching for coherent states of Rydberg atom. Good luck. It's not an easy problem. I'm interested in how the results look.
 
  • #5
Khashishi said:
Dr. Du, of course you can transition from unbound to bound. This is called recombination emission.
Of course. Apparently I was thinking in something completely different to what the OP was asking.
 
  • #6
It occurs to me if you stick to the simple model of Couloumb potential you are never going to do so. Since central potential has parity symmetry, which means the wave functions chosen are always symmetric or antisymmetric... I think for the more realistic situation, models in condensed matter might be more applicable.
 

1. What are orbitals?

Orbitals are regions of space around an atom's nucleus where electrons are most likely to be found. They are often represented as 3D shapes and are characterized by their energy level, shape, and orientation.

2. How do electrons transition from a free state to the ground state?

Electrons transition from a free state to the ground state by releasing energy in the form of photons. As they move from a higher energy level to a lower energy level, they emit light at specific wavelengths that correspond to their transition.

3. What is the ground state?

The ground state is the lowest energy level an electron can occupy in an atom. It is the most stable state for an electron and is often referred to as the "default" state.

4. What is the difference between an excited state and a ground state?

An excited state is when an electron is at a higher energy level than the ground state. This can occur when an electron absorbs energy and moves to a higher energy level, but it is not a stable state and will eventually transition back to the ground state.

5. How do orbitals determine an element's chemical properties?

The arrangement and number of electrons in an element's orbitals determine its chemical properties. This is because the outermost electrons, known as valence electrons, are responsible for an element's reactivity and bonding behavior.

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