Spherically symmetric potential

Coulomb potential

Consider a particle of charge −𝑞 and mass 𝑚 bound to a stationary charge 𝑄 at the origin. The potential experienced by the particle, given by Coulomb's law, is spherically symmetric with

𝑉(𝑟)=−𝑄𝑞4𝜋𝜖01𝑟

giving the radial equation

−ℏ22𝑚𝑑2𝑢𝑑𝑟+(−𝑄𝑞4𝜋𝜖01𝑟+ℏ22𝑚ℓ(ℓ+1)𝑟2)𝑢=𝐸𝑢

which has bound states

𝜓𝑛ℓ𝑚(𝑟,𝜃,𝜙)=√(2𝑛𝑎𝑄𝑞)3(𝑛−ℓ−1)!2𝑛(𝑛+ℓ)!𝑒−𝑟/𝑛𝑎𝑄𝑞(2𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑄𝑞)ℓ𝐿2ℓ+1𝑛−ℓ−1(2𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑄𝑞)𝑌𝑚ℓ(𝜃,𝜙)

where 𝑌𝑚ℓ is a spherical harmonic, 𝐿2ℓ+1𝑛−ℓ−1 is an Associated Laguerre polynomial, and

𝑎𝑄𝑞=4𝜋𝜖0ℏ2𝑚𝑄𝑞

which in the case of hydrogen is the Bohr radius. The allowable energies are

𝐸𝑛=−[𝑚𝑒2ℏ2(𝑄𝑞4𝜋𝜖0)2]1𝑛2

which are each 𝑛2-degenerate.

Quantum numbers


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