Quantum Mechanics I

= B z.
Consider spinless electrons in 3 dimensions moving in a constant magnetic eld B
a. (10 points) Find the electron energy levels.
b. (5 points) What is the degeneracy of each level for xed z-momentum?
c. (5 points) Write down the general form of the wave-function.

in the Landau gauge A

= x B y.
Note: Use the vector potential associated with B

Solution to QMI

a.
H=

(py + eBx/c)2
p2
p2x
+
+ z
2m
2m
2m
p2x
p
p2
1
y
+ mc2 (x +
)2 + z
2m 2
2m
2m

(1)

with c = eB/mc. py , pz commute with H. So the states are plane waves in y, z directions
and Gaussian in the x direction with
1
p2x
py 2
+ mc2 (x +
)
Hx =
2m 2
mc
So the energy levels are
c (n + 1/2) +
En,pz = h

p2z
2m

(2)

(3)

b. For xed pz the degeneracy is BLx Ly /(hc/e) which is the number of Landau orbits in
the Lx Ly plane. The degeneracy is the total Flux in Lx Ly divided by the unit quantum
ux.
c.
(x, y, z) = n (x +

py
eipy y+ipz z
)+
mc
2h

(4)

Quantum Mechanics II

As a rst approximation, the neutron-proton force can be described by an attractive

square well potential
V (r) = V0 (a r)
where is a step function. The range a of the force is of the order of the pion Compton
wavelength = h
/(m c) with m = 139 MeV in units where h
c = 197 MeV-fm.
a. (10 points) What is the minimum depth of the potential for a bound state to form?
b. (4 points) What lower bound can be put on V0 if there were no bound proton-neutron
(Deuteron) state?
c. (2 points) Derive a precise relation between E and V0 , where E is the binding energy
of the Deuteron.
d. (4 points) Improve your estimate in b. for V0 by using the fact that E = 2.22 MeV.
Note: Use a proton mass equal to a neutron mass, mN = mP = 940 MeV.

Solution to QMII

a. The rst bound state forms in the l = 0 channel, for which (
x) = (r)/r with
(r) solution to the 1-dimensional Shrodinger equation


+ K 2 = 0

in

k 2 = 0

out

(5)

with
k2 =

2mE
>0
h
2

K2 =

2m
(V0 + E) > 0
h
2

(6)

Using (r) = AsinKr in and (r) = Bekr out, and matching the logarithmic derivative
at r = a yield the transcandental equation
Kacotan Ka = ka

(7)

As the bound state energy is driven to E 0, the transcandental equation admits a

solution if cotanKa = 0 or Ka = /2. Thus the minimum potential depth for a bound
state to form is
V0 =

h
22
8ma2

(8)

b.The proton-neutron reduced mass is m = mN /2. The pion Compton wavelenth is

=

h
c
197 MeV fm
= 1.4fm

2
m c
140MeV

(9)

Using these results together with a., we have

h
22
53 MeV
V0
4mN 2

(10)

E
ka
=

cotanx =
x
(V0 + E)

(11)

c. Setting x = Ka, we have

d. For small ka (small E), the solution is x = /2 + . Thus tan = 2ka/( + 2) or
 2ka/ 0.21. Therefore
x

+ 0.21 =
2

2m(V0 + E)
h

which yields the improved lower bound V0 67.2 MeV.

(12)

Quantum Mechanics III

The electron neutrino and neutrino mixing in matter is described by the Hamiltonian:
GN
H = (cos(2) 3 sin(2) 1 ) + 3
2

(13)

1,3 are Pauli matrices

= (m2 m2e )/2E = m2 /2E
vacuum mixing angle
G Fermi decay constant
N the electron density in matter
E the relativistic neutrino energy
a. (4 points) Find the eigenvalues of H.
b. (6 points) Find the eigenvectors of H as linear combinations of the free electron and
tau neutrino states, ie

|1 >= +cos(m )|e > +sin(m )| >

|2 >= sin(m )|e > +cos(m )| >
m is the mixing angle in matter. Give its explicit dependence on , , G, N.
c. (4 points) If the electron density in matter N is constant, what is the probability for
an electron neutrino to turn into a tau neutrino in matter?
d. (2 points) Find N for which this mixing is maximum
e. (4 points) At what distance L = ct would all electron neutrinos entering matter be
converted to tau neutrinos?

Solution to QMIII

a. Since
GN
H = (cos(2) 3 sin(2) 1 ) + 3 = 3 + 1
2
the eigenvalues follow from det|H 1| = 0, that is

(14)

= 2 + 2 = m

(15)

b. In the basis |e >= (1, 0) and | >= (0, 1), the eigenvalue equation H|1,2 >=
m |1,2 > translates to

c + s = m c
c s = m s

(16)

with c = cos m and s = sinm . Thus tan2m = /.

c.
Pe (t) =
=

| < e (0)| (t) > |2 = | < e (0)|eiHt | (0) > |2

sin2 (2m ) sin2 (m t/h)

(17)

d. The maximum mixing occurs when sin(2m ) = 1 or m = /4. Thus tan(2m ) =

/ = or = 0. Therefore

N=

2 cos(2)
G

(18)

e. When Pe = 1 then m t/
h = /2. Since t = L/c, we have
L=

Eh c
m2 sin(2m )

(19)