DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY -- (202) 806-6245 (main office), -5830 (fax)

Quantum Mechanics 2
PHYS-221 (CRN: 12960): MW, 2:10 - 3:30 pm, in TKH 207;
[Topics][Daily Schedule][Assignments][e-Gear][Welcome]

Instructor: Tristan Hübsch (Office hours: MW 10:00 am–12:00 noon, T 2:00–4:00 pm)

TKH 213, 806-6267 thubsch@mac.com

 

Textbook and other sources:

required: L.E. Ballentine, Quantum Mechanics
recomended: S. Flügge, Practical Quantum Mechanics (try also here)
optional: C. Cohen-Tannoudji, B. Diu & F. Laloe, Quantum Mechanics
optional: E. Merzbacher, Quantum Mechanics (3rd ed.)
optional: D. Bohm, Quantum Mechanics
and several other sources, as given in class and on-line.

The aim of the course is to give a thorough review of the various applications of quantum mechanics, as introduced in the first part (PHYS-220), and to further develop those and new techniques. To that end, an application of symmetry is further developed, quantum fields statistical mechanics introduced and related to their classical counterparts. In addition, we study concrete applications to (1) Nuclei, (2) Periodic (crystalline) systems, (3) Atomic spectra, (4) Inter-atomic (chemical) forces, (5) Sub-nuclear and “fundamental” physics.

Topical schedule:

§12: Time-Dependent Phenomena
§13: Discrete Symmetries
Extra: WKB Approximation and Details of the H-Atom
§14: The Classical Limit
§15: Quantum Mechanics in Phase Space
1st Midterm exam--§12-13+Extra: 02/17 (open text, in-class) + take-home due 02/24
§16: Scattering
Extra: He-Atom, ionized H2-Molecule - Variational Method
§17: Identical Particles
2nd Midterm exam--§14-17+Extra: 03/24 (open text, in-class) + take-home due 03/29
§18: Many Fermions
Extra: Crystals
§19: Quantum Fields
§20: Bell's Theorem
Final exam--comprehensive: (almost) everything, given 04/14 - due 04/21

Homework assignments

1. Due 01/20:
   1. Read the solution to 1.13, then do problem 1.14;
   2. Assuming that η(E) = C exp[–(E/E₀–1)²/2], calculate A(t) as on p. 341.
   
2. Due 01/27: 12.1, 12.10, 13.1, 13.7
3. Due 02/03: Use WKB approximation to determine the stationary state energy levels for
   1. V(x) = C|x|,
   2. V(x) = Cx²,
   3. V(x) = Cx²ⁿ, and
   4. V(x) = –C[cosh(x)]^–1,
   with C > 0 in all cases, or at least determine the integral which determines these values in terms of an integer.
4. Due 02/17: 14.1, 14.2, 14.3, 14.4
5. Due 03/03: 15.1, 15.2, 15.4
6. Due 03/29: 16.2, 16.3, 16.4, 16.8
7. Due 04/05: 17.1, 17.2, 17.3, 17.6
8. Due 04/12: 18.1, 18.4
9. Due 04/19: 19.1, 19.2, 19.4 (just iterate the canonical commutation relations)
10. Due 04/21: 20.1, 20.2 (bonus)

All homework assignments are due by 5:00 pm of the day indicated and should be either given to the instructor in hand, left in the instructor's mailbox in TKH#105, or slid under the instructor's office door, TKH#213. Late homework will not be accepted, except in cases of proven (medical) emergency.

Collaboration policy
Collaboration -- but not blind copying -- on the homework assignments is strongly encouraged; students should use this to learn from each other. All exams and quizzes are open text and open class-notes (including notebooks and class handouts), but no collaboration is allowed; by signing the exams and quizzes, the student implicitly agrees to abide by this policy. Violation of this policy is covered under University regulations on academic dishonesty and cheating.

Presentation and organization
While a neat presentation of home,- quiz- and exam-work is not required for full credit, it certainly makes it easier to assess the quality of the work and give the proper credit due. In all cases, include a simple sketch if it might help conveying the approach or the calculations. Where necessary, include all units and symbols such as the measure of an integral, arrow on a vector, vertical bars for the absolute value of a quantity, for the magnitude of a vector or for the determinant of a matrix, etc.

• Homework: Submitted answer sheets should be stapled (preferably in the top-left corner). The Student's full name (and ID number) should be indicated on the first (cover) page. Solutions should be labeled and ordered consecutively by the problem numbers. Include all calculation/work and give full reference to any result quoted from any source other than the text, and page/equation number for results quoted from the text.
• Quizzes: The Student's full name (and ID number) should be indicated on the first (cover) page, unless otherwise requested at the time of the quiz. Include all calculation/work and give the page/equation number for results quoted from the text. Speed and efficiency is important, but the presentation must be legible. If submitted under a pseudonym, the quizzes will be pre-graded by a classmate; the final grade will be given by the instructor. The quizzes will be returned to the individual students.
• Mid-term exams: All exam questions are given on a question sheet and include the detailed point distribution and the place to write in the Student's full name and ID number. This question sheet is to be stapled on the top of the answer sheets, in the top-left corner. It will be used to indicate the acquired points, part by part and in total, the average score and the standard deviation. A second copy of the question sheet is to be used for the take-home part in the same manner. The formula by which the points will be summed between the to parts will be given on the question sheet. The mid-term exams will be returned to the individual students.
• Final exam: All exam questions are given on a question sheet and include the detailed point distribution and the place to write in the Student's full name and ID number. This question sheet is to be stapled on the top of the answer sheets, in the top-left corner. It will be used to indicate the acquired points, part by part and in total, the average score and the standard deviation. The final exams are stored by the instructor, but are available to the individual student for review after the exam.

ADA disclaimer
Howard University is committed to providing an educational environment that is accessible to all students.  In accordance with this policy, students in need of accommodations due to a disability should contact the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Records, Denise L. Spriggs (202) 806-8006), for verification and determination of reasonable accommodations as soon as possible after admission to the Law School, or at the beginning of each semester.

© Tristan Hübsch, 2010