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Lecture_5__Operators_and_the_Schrodinger_Equation

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9 views

Lecture_5__Operators_and_the_Schrodinger_Equation

Uploaded by

lshriver
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lecture 5: Operators and the Schrödinger Equation

Sofia Shriver

October 28 2018

Postulates Discussed So Far


1. Particles/systems are governed/described by wave functions Ψ(x)
• Each Ψ(x) must be a complex number, continuous, and normalizable
• Note: the derivative of the wave function with respect to x need not be continuous
2. Associated with any Ψ(x) is a probability P(x)dx
• Note: since x is a continuous variable, we write P(x)dx (rather than just P(x)) to dentoe the
probability our system/particle is located somewhere in the range (x, x + dx)
• Recall: for continuous probability distributions, the probability of our system having a discrete
value is always zero
• Equation for this relation:
P(x)dx = |Ψ(x)|2 dx (1)

3. A wave function can be a superposition of allowed states


• Example:
Ψ(x) = αΨ1 (x) + βΨ2 (x) (2)

Postulate 4
For each observable a, we have an associated operator Â.
• Examples so far:
~ ∂
– Momentum: p̂ ≡ i ∂x

– Position: x̂ ≡ x
2 2
~ ∂
– Energy: Ê ≡ − 2m ∂x2 + V (x)

Postulate 5
Upon measuring an observable a associated with an operator Â, two things will occur:
1. The measured value will be one of the eigenvalues of Â
2. After measurement, the particle/system collapses into an eigenfunction Ψa

1
Postulate 6
Given an operator Â, we can normalize its set of eigenfunctions by assuming they are all orthonormal to one
another. This is summarized by the following normalization condition:
Z
ψa∗ (x)ψb (x)dx = δab (3)

Schrödinger Equation
∂
i~ Ψ(x, t) = ÊΨ(x, t)
∂t
(4)
2 2
~ ∂
=− Ψ(x, t) + V (x)Ψ(x, t)
2m ∂x2

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