Solving Hydrogen in Electric Field: Angular Dependence

[dongying26]

I am working on a problem about hydrogen in a uniform electric field. I have solved for the first order correction to the wavefunction to be f(r)*cos(theta). But then it asks about what "physical process" it represents by having the angular dependence cos(theta). I am thinking that cos(theta) actually is included in expression for 2pz. And I think the combination of 2pz and 1s creates a degeneracy. Is that right that the degeneracy is the thing it asks about the physical process? Thanks!

 

[malawi_glenn]

2pz is??

 

[weejee]

The dipole moment of a hydrogen atom in the 1s state is zero. What happens if a little bit of 2p_z is mixed?