Q 1 [Two and three center integrals]

r
a) Show that the Fourier transform of e r is given by
b) From the above result, calculate the transform of e 
c) Consider the integral


e

I
Use the Fourier integral form for e 
I

4
.


2 k2
r.

r   r  R  3
d r
e

to get the form

 

eik  R

2 k2

2

2 k2

d3r

d) Show that


 

Hint : Note that  2

eik  R

d3r 

2

k2
2 k2

1


k2
2 k2

(a).

2 2 e 
2

1
1



2  2  2 k2

e

1


2 k2

and use the result of part

Use differentiation under the integral sign to prove that

I



2
3

2  2  e 

e

R

4 
e
R

e

R 

e) Calculate the value of the integral I when  from the above expression.
R
Also start from the Fourier integral representation of e R and obtain this result by
repeatedly differentiating under the integral sign.
Q 2 [Coulomb interaction between two Hydrogen atoms] )
The hydrogen atom in its lowest energy state can be represented by a nucleus of
charge surrounded by a negative charge distribution

r



3
e
8

The potential
 energy of Coulomb interaction between two hydrogen atoms separated
by a vector R is given by
2
V1 V2
V
R
where

3 1  r R  3

V1   2 2
d r
e
8 r
is the net interaction of one nucleus with the electron distribution of the other atom,
and
3 2
1

2 
V2 
d 3 rd 3 r  e  r    e   r  R 
 r r 
8 
1

a) Use the results of the previous problem to show that

2
2   1  e
R


V1 

R  

b) Use the Fourier integral representation of e 

over r and r  to show that the last term is given by
V2  2

8
2 2

k2

1
k2

2
4

e

R 

 r  R 

e

and perform the integrals

ik  R 3

d k

Starting from results obtained in the previous problem evaluate this integral and hence
show that the net interaction potential energy is
V

2
e
R

5
3 2 2  1 3 3
R 
R
R
16
16
48

c) In the variational calculation for the ground state of a Helium atom we need
to evaluate the interaction energy between two electron clouds, both centered at the
center.Show that in the limit R  0 we have
5 2
a
16

V2 

d) Repeat the calculations in this problem for the electrons in two p-states in the
two hydrogen atom. For the p-state, the charge distribution is

5 2
z e
32

Consider two cases :

(i) the z direction is along the line joining the two nuclei;
(ii) the z direction is perpendicular to the line joining the two nuclei.
Q 3 [Evaluation of Heitler-London integrals] )
Calculation of the energy of a hydrogen molecule by the Heitler-London method
requires the evaluation of the following pair of integrals


I1

I2







a r1
b r1
a r2
b r2
3 3
d r1 d r2
r

 12 
 
a r1
b r1
a r2
b r2
3 3
d r1 d r2
ra2

where

3  " r  r a # b "
"
e ""
"

Use the method outlined in problem 1 to calculate these integrals.



a  b r
!

Q 4 [Greens function for the Schrdinger equation] )

Show, using the Fourier transform method, that the Greens function for the 3 dimensional Schrdinger equation for a free particle is given by


Gr

r $ t

t  

3
2

2mi

4h t  t 


m  r  r  2

exp % 
2
h t  t 
'&

If the wave function at time t  0 is given by

(

 3) 4
e

r $ 0


r2 ) 2

calculate the wave function at later times. Repeat the calculation when the initial wave
function has an additional phase factor of e ik  r . Comment on the physical significance
of the solution in each case.
Q 5 [Laplace transform applied to stochastic processes] )
Consider the problem of a radioactive detector with a dead time . This means
that once a count has been registered, another decay will not
be detected until
a time


has elapsed. Let us introduce the probability density Q n t
such that Qn t
dt is the
probability that the n-th count takes place in the interval t $ t dt
. Then we have


Qn

t


t
0



Qn t 
p0 t  t 
dt 

where p0 t  t 
is the probability per unit time that the n 1th count takes place in the
time t $ t dt
given that the nth count took place at t  . Show that


p0 t
+*
and

0
e

for t ,
for t -

Q1 t


p0 t


where
is the radioactive
constant.
Show that if the Laplace transforms of Q n t
and



p0 t
are given by q n s
and 0 s
, then


n
 . 0 s
10 
qn s
/

Show that

Qn t
3
 2

 6 n  1 7 8:9
4 5 t'
6 n  17 !
0

n 1

e


q1 s

for t ;
for t ,




n  1

n  1

If Pn t
is the distribution
in number
of counts up to a given time, establish the



connection between Pn t
and Qn t
and hence show that in the limit  0, Pn t

reduces to the familiar Poisson distribution.

Q 6 [The convolution theorem for Laplace transforms] )
3

If the convolution of two functions is defined as

 t


C t




f1 t 
f2 t  t 
dt 



then show that the Laplace transform of the convolution is given by F 1 s
F2 s
.

Q 7 [Laplace transform of periodic functions] ) Consider a periodic function


t
with a period T . Show that its Laplace transform is


F s




s

1  e  sT

where s
=< 0T t
e  st dt. By inverting the Laplace transform, establish the Euler
formula for Fourier series.
Q 8 [The confluent hypergeometric function] )
From the integral representation of the confluent hypergeometric function


F $ $ x


1

1  s


 1  1 sx
s e dx

prove the following identities



d
(i)
$ $ x
 F 1 $ 1 $ x

dx F


(ii)
F $ $ x
 ex F  $ $ x

Q 9 [Integral representation of the Laguerre function] )

The Laguerre equation is

xy  1  x
y ny  0

where we assume ;  1, and n is an integer.

a ) Show that the Laguerre polynomial can be represented by

Ln6 7

1
2 i >

x


1  s
n esx


ds
sn 1

where the contour of integration encloses the origin.

b ) Show from the integral transform that



d 7 

L 6 x  Ln6 1 1 7 x

dx n

c ) Substituting sx  x  and evaluating the contour integral in , prove that

Ln6 7

d ) Substituting 1  s s 
is the coefficient of t n in

1
t

x


1
n x d n n

e
x
n!
dxn 

 x
e



and evaluating the contour integral show that  1
n Ln6 7 x


g t



1


1 t

4

tx
exp
t 1

Hence show that


Ln6 7

x



n 1

1
 s 1
 n  s
!s!  x

s? 0
n

Q 9 [The Hermite polynomial] )

The Hermite equation is
y   xy ny  0
a ) When n is a positive integer show that the Hermite polynomial can be represented by

1
1 sx s2 ) 2

e 
Hn x

ds
2 in! > sn 1
where the contour encloses the origin. What sort of contour would you chose if n is not
a positive integer?
b ) From the integral representation, find the generating function of the Hermite
polynomials.
c ) Prove the recursion relation
xHn  Hn

nHn

 1

for n - 1
d ) Prove
Hn  nHn

 1

e ) Evaluating the integral in terms of the variable t  s  x using the method of

residues prove


2
2
dn
Hn x
  1
n ex ) 2 n e  x ) 2
dx
Q 10 [The method of steepest descent] ) Using the method of steepest descent,
show that



 x  l 1 x2 ) 2l   2l l 1 e  2l
1
7
A

@
%
e
hl6 x
i
l
2 l!
x
l! &
for x B
form

l. For x C

l, show that the method of steepest descent gives the asymptotic



hl6 17 x


1
expi  x 
x


1  
2 2 4

Hence derive the asymptotic forms for the spherical Bessel and spherical Neumann
functions.