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Find the lowest bound on the ground state of hydrogen you can get using a Gaussian trial wave function

ψ(r)=Ae-br2,

where A is determined by normalization and b is an adjustable parameter. Answer-11.5eV

Short Answer

Expert verified

The lowest bound on the ground state of hydrogen using Gaussian trial wave function isHmin=-11.5eV.

Step by step solution

01

Step 1: Gaussian trail wave function

A Gaussian function is proposed as a trial wave function in a variational calculation on the hydrogen atom. Determine the optimum value of the parameter and the ground state energy of the hydrogen atom. Use atomic units

h=2ττ,me=1,e=1

ϕ(r,β):=(2βπ)34exp(-βr2)

Thegiventrial wave function is of the form:

ψ(r)=Ae-br2

02

Finding the lowest bound on the ground state of hydrogen.

First, we find the normalization constant A:

ψ2(r)r2sinθdrdϕ=1A20e-2br2r2dr0xsinθdθ02xdϕ=1A2182π(b)3(2)(2π)=1A=2bπ3/4

V=-e24π0˙0A24π0e-2br21rr2dr=-e24π0˙02bπ3/24π14b=-e24π0˙022bπ.

03

Step 3: Finding the value of T

Now we find <T>

T=-h22mA2e-br22e-br2r2sinθdrdθdϕBut2e-br2=1r2ddrr2ddre-br2=1r2ddr-2br3e-br2=-2br2(3r2-2br4)e-br2=-h22mπb42bπ3/24π(-2b)0(3r2-2br4)e-2br2dr=h2mπb42bπ3/2318bπ2b-2b332b2π2b.=h2m4πb2bπ38b-316b=3h2b2m.

04

Step 4: Finding the value of H

The last two calculations of the results to get <H>

H=3h2b2m-e24πo˙022bπ;Hb=3h22m-e24πo˙02π1b=0b=e24πo˙02π2m3h2.Hmin=3h22me24πo˙022π4m29h2-e24πo˙022πe24πo˙02π2m3h2=e24πo˙02mh243π-83π.=-m2h2e24πo˙0283π=83πE1=-11.5eV.

Thus the lowest bound on the ground state of hydrogen using Gaussian trial wave function isHmin=-11.5eV.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Using Egs=-79.0eV for the ground state energy of helium, calculate the ionization energy (the energy required to remove just one electron). Hint: First calculate the ground state energy of the helium ion, He+, with a single electron orbiting the nucleus; then subtract the two energies.

Although the Schrödinger equation for helium itself cannot be solved exactly, there exist “helium-like” systems that do admit exact solutions. A simple example is “rubber-band helium,” in which the Coulomb forces are replaced by Hooke’s law forces:

H=-ħ22m(12+22)+12mω2|r1-r1|2(8.78).

(a) Show that the change of variables from

r1,r2,tor1,r2,tou12(r1+r2),v12(r1+r2) (8.79).

turns the Hamiltonian into two independent three-dimensional harmonic oscillators:

H=[-ħ2mu2+12mω2u2]+[-ħ2mu2+121-λmω2u2](8.80)

(b) What is the exact ground state energy for this system?

(c) If we didn’t know the exact solution, we might be inclined to apply the method of Section 7.2 to the Hamiltonian in its original form (Equation 7.78). Do so (but don’t bother with shielding). How does your result compare with the exact answer? Answer:(H)=3ħω(1-λ/4)a.

InProblem 7.7we found that the trial wave function with shielding (Equation 7.27), which worked well for helium, is inadequate to confirm the existence of a bound state for the negative hydrogen ion.

ψ1(r1,r2)z3πa3e-z(r1+r2)/a (7.27)

Chandrasekhar used a trial wave function of the form

ψ(r1,r2)A[ψ1(r1)ψ2(r2)+ψ2(r1)ψ1(r2)] (7.62).

Where

ψ1(r)z13πa3e-z1/a,ψ1(r)z23πa3e-z2/a,(7.63)

In effect, he allowed two different shielding factors, suggesting that one electron is relatively close to the nucleus, and the other is farther out. (Because electrons are identical particles, the spatial wave function must be symmetries with respect to interchange. The spin state—which is irrelevant to the calculation—is evidently anti symmetric.) Show that by astute choice of the adjustable parameters Z1and Z2you can get<H>less than -13.6.

Answer: :<H>=E1x6+y6(-x8+2x7+12x6y2-12x5y2-18x3y4+118xy6-12y8).

Wherexz1+z2.y2z1z2Chandrasekhar usedZ1=1.039

(Since this is larger than 1, the motivating interpretation as an effective nuclear charge cannot be sustained, but never mindit’s still an acceptable trial wave function) andZ2=0.283.

(a) Use a trial wave function of the form

ψ(x)={Acos(πx/a),if(a/2<x<a/2)0otherwise

to obtain a bound on the ground state energy of the one-dimensional harmonic oscillator. What is the "best" value ofa? CompareHminwith the exact energy. Note: This trial function has a "kink" in it (a discontinuous derivative) at±a/2; do you need to take account of this, as I did in Example 7.3?

(b) Useψ(x)=Bsin(πx/a)on the interval(a,a)to obtain a bound on the first excited state. Compare the exact answer.

Evaluate Dand X(Equations and ). Check your answers against Equations 7.47and 7.48.

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