- #1
isochore
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- Homework Statement
- Prove that ##\frac{d^2}{dt^2} \langle \psi (t) \vert X^2 \vert \psi (t) \rangle = 4 \omega^2 \langle \psi (t) \vert X^2 \vert \psi (t) \rangle + \frac{1}{m}\langle \psi (t) \vert H \vert \psi (t) \rangle## for the simple harmonic oscillator.
- Relevant Equations
- ##\frac{i}{\hbar}[H, X] = \frac{1}{m} P##
##\frac{i}{\hbar}[H, P] = -m\omega^2X##
##\frac{d}{dt} \langle \psi (t) \vert A \vert \psi (t) \rangle = \frac{i}{\hbar} \langle \psi (t) \vert [H,A] \vert \psi (t) \rangle## if A is time-independent.
I can show that ##\frac{d}{dt} \langle \psi (t) \vert X^2 \vert \psi (t) \rangle = \frac{1}{m} \langle \psi (t) \vert PX+XP \vert \psi (t) \rangle##.
Taking another derivative with respect to time of this, I get ##\frac{d^2}{dt^2} \langle \psi (t) \vert X^2 \vert \psi (t) \rangle = \frac{i}{m \hbar} \langle \psi (t) \vert [H, PX+XP] \vert \psi (t) \rangle##.
However, I'm not sure how to manipulate this into something that matches the right side of the equation.
I can expand the commutator in the middle to get
##[H, PX + XP] = [H, PX] + [H, XP] = [H, P]X + P[H, X] + [H, X]P + X[H,P]##
I can then substitute in the commutator values known from above (ignoring the factor of ##\frac{i}{\hbar}## momentarily):
##[H, PX + XP] = (-m\omega^2 X)X + P(\frac{1}{m}P) + (\frac{1}{m}P)P + X(-m\omega^2 X) = -2m\omega^2 X^2 + \frac{2}{m}P^2##
I see a way to get from ##P^2## to ##H## using the time-independent Schrödinger equation, but I took derivatives with respect to time to arrive at this equation. Is there another path besides using the time-independent Schrödinger equation, or is it okay to use the time-independent form here?
Taking another derivative with respect to time of this, I get ##\frac{d^2}{dt^2} \langle \psi (t) \vert X^2 \vert \psi (t) \rangle = \frac{i}{m \hbar} \langle \psi (t) \vert [H, PX+XP] \vert \psi (t) \rangle##.
However, I'm not sure how to manipulate this into something that matches the right side of the equation.
I can expand the commutator in the middle to get
##[H, PX + XP] = [H, PX] + [H, XP] = [H, P]X + P[H, X] + [H, X]P + X[H,P]##
I can then substitute in the commutator values known from above (ignoring the factor of ##\frac{i}{\hbar}## momentarily):
##[H, PX + XP] = (-m\omega^2 X)X + P(\frac{1}{m}P) + (\frac{1}{m}P)P + X(-m\omega^2 X) = -2m\omega^2 X^2 + \frac{2}{m}P^2##
I see a way to get from ##P^2## to ##H## using the time-independent Schrödinger equation, but I took derivatives with respect to time to arrive at this equation. Is there another path besides using the time-independent Schrödinger equation, or is it okay to use the time-independent form here?
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