For an electron of mass m in a hydrogen atom, the time-independent Schrödinger equation may be written as
−2mr2ℏ2∂r∂(r2∂r∂ψ)+2mr21L2ψ−4πϵ0re2ψ=Eψ
Consider normalised energy eigenstates of the form
ψlm(r,θ,ϕ)=R(r)Ylm(θ,ϕ)
where Ylm are orbital angular momentum eigenstates:
L2Ylm=ℏ2l(l+1)Ylm,L3Ylm=ℏmYlm
where l=1,2,… and m=0,±1,±2,…±l. The Ylm functions are normalised with ∫θ=0π∫ϕ=02π∣Ylm∣2sinθdθdϕ=1.
(i) Write down the resulting equation satisfied by R(r), for fixed l. Show that it has solutions of the form
R(r)=Arlexp(−a(l+1)r)
where a is a constant which you should determine. Show that
E=−Dπϵ0ae2
where D is an integer which you should find (in terms of l ). Also, show that
∣A∣2=aFG!(l+1)H22l+3,
where F,G and H are integers that you should find in terms of l.
(ii) Given the radius of the proton rp≪a, show that the probability of the electron being found within the proton is approximately
C22l+3(arp)2l+3[1+O(arp)]
finding the integer C in terms of l.
[You may assume that ∫0∞tle−tdt=l!.]