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Quantum Particle Symmetry Basics

1. The document discusses how the symmetry requirement on the spatial wavefunction of identical particles leads to an effective interaction or "force" between them. 2. It describes how the symmetry properties of electrons explain the stability of covalent bonds. Electrons in a covalent bond form a spin singlet state, which has an antisymmetric spatial wavefunction that overcomes the natural repulsion between identical fermions. 3. This allows the electrons in a covalent bond to remain close together due to an effective attraction from the symmetric spatial and antisymmetric spin wavefunctions combined.

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140 views5 pages

Quantum Particle Symmetry Basics

1. The document discusses how the symmetry requirement on the spatial wavefunction of identical particles leads to an effective interaction or "force" between them. 2. It describes how the symmetry properties of electrons explain the stability of covalent bonds. Electrons in a covalent bond form a spin singlet state, which has an antisymmetric spatial wavefunction that overcomes the natural repulsion between identical fermions. 3. This allows the electrons in a covalent bond to remain close together due to an effective attraction from the symmetric spatial and antisymmetric spin wavefunctions combined.

Uploaded by

alex61937
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Intended Learning Outcomes of this lecture:

After this lecture you can


1. understand how the symmetry requirement on the spatial wavefunction leads to an
effective interaction or force.
2. describe the stability of a covalent bond using the symmetry properties of electrons.

Questions to start with:


Fermions: Pauli principle two non-interacting particles cannot occupy the same single-
particle state.
1. Is it repulsion in real space?
2. What about bosons?

Exchange Force another justification of repulsion between two non-interacting


identical particles if their combined spatial wavefunction is odd under exchange.

x2

x1

Qualitatively:

even
mean separation larger for odd
x1 x2
function tend to stay apart

odd

Analytically:
Suppose two non-interacting particles in two orthonormal states, a b = ab
Look at ( x1 x2 ) 2 = x12 + x22 2 x1 x2
Note: f = * f dx1dx2

PHYS3036 Spring 17 Ch. 5 Identical Particles (26/4/17) 1


Distinguishable
( x1 , x2 ) = a ( x1 ) b ( x2 )
x12 = a* ( x1 ) b* ( x2 ) x12 a ( x1 ) b ( x2 )dx1dx2

= b* ( x2 ) b ( x2 )dx2 a* ( x1 )x12 a ( x1 )dx1


= x2 a x2 a
a

x22 = x 2 b x2 b
b

x1 x2 = a* ( x1 ) b* ( x2 ) x1 x2 a ( x1 ) b ( x2 )dx1dx2
= a xa b xb
x a
x b

( x ) = x + x2 2 x
2 2
a
x b
a b

Indistinguishable
1
( x1 , x2 ) = [ a ( x1 ) b ( x2 ) a ( x2 ) b ( x1 )]
2
*
1 a ( x1 ) b ( x2 ) x1 a ( x1 ) b ( x2 )dx1dx2 a ( x1 ) b ( x2 ) x1 a ( x2 ) b ( x1 )dx1dx2
* 2 * * 2

x = 2
1
2 a* ( x2 ) b* ( x1 ) x12 a ( x1 ) b ( x2 )dx1dx2 + a* ( x2 ) b* ( x1 ) x12 a ( x2 ) b ( x1 )dx1dx2

1
= x2 + x2
2 a b

1
x22 = x 2 + x 2
2 b a

*
1 a ( x1 ) b ( x2 ) x1 x2 a ( x1 ) b ( x2 )dx1dx2 a ( x1 ) b ( x2 ) x1 x2 a ( x2 ) b ( x1 )dx1dx2
* * *

x1 x2 =
2 a* ( x2 ) b* ( x1 ) x1 x2 a ( x1 ) b ( x2 ) dx1dx2 + a* ( x2 ) b* ( x1 ) x1 x2 a ( x2 ) b ( x1 ) dx1dx2

1
= x a x b a x b b x a b x a a x b + x b x a
2
( x )
2
= x2 + x2 2 x a x b m 2 a x b
2

a
14444 b
24444 3 14243
same as distinguishable due to symmetry
particles requirement

if spatial wavefunction is
symmetric + : ( x )
2
smaller like a real space attraction
+

antisymmetric : ( x )
2
larger like a real space repulsion

PHYS3036 Spring 17 Ch. 5 Identical Particles (26/4/17) 2


Note: if

no overlap

x1 x2

| | =
= 0 as if they are distinguishable (we can distinguish
them not based on their intrinsic properties but in terms of their positions)
Interpretation: we need to worry about the indistinguishability of particles only when the
overlap of wavefunctions become significant.

In a covalent bond, e.g. HH, we know from high school chemistry that it is stable
because of electrostatic attraction:
electrostatic attraction

e-
+ e- +

high e density

Nave thinking: e are fermions, wave function is antisymmetric, real space repulsion
then why would e in a covalent bond stay close to each other? Something is missing!

We have missed out the ________________________

Total two-e wavefunction =

orbital (or spatial) spinor

means AND

PHYS3036 Spring 17 Ch. 5 Identical Particles (26/4/17) 3


symmetric (even) antisymmetric (odd)


antisymmetric antisymmetric (odd) symmetric (even)
1
Already know ( r1 , r2 ) = [ a (r1 ) b (r2 ) a ( r2 ) b ( r1 )]
2

What about spinors?





triplet, symmetric

1
2
( + )

1
2
( ) singlet, antisymmetric

Back to covalent bond

e-
+ e- +

e form singlet antisymmetric


symmetric
2 e close together
e in covalent bond always form singlet

PHYS3036 Spring 17 Ch. 5 Identical Particles (26/4/17) 4


Biography from Eric Weisstein's World of Science
http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/biography/

PHYS3036 Spring 17 Ch. 5 Identical Particles (26/4/17) 5

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