A2.2 B2.1

Principles of Dynamics
Part II, 2002

(i) A number NN of non-interacting particles move in one dimension in a potential V(x,t)V(x, t). Write down the Hamiltonian and Hamilton's equations for one particle.

At time tt, the number density of particles in phase space is f(x,p,t)f(x, p, t). Write down the time derivative of ff along a particle's trajectory. By equating the rate of change of the number of particles in a fixed domain VV in phase space to the flux into VV across its boundary, deduce that ff is a constant along any particle's trajectory.

(ii) Suppose that V(x)=12mω2x2V(x)=\frac{1}{2} m \omega^{2} x^{2}, and particles are injected in such a manner that the phase space density is a constant f1f_{1} at any point of phase space corresponding to a particle energy being smaller than E1E_{1} and zero elsewhere. How many particles are present?

Suppose now that the potential is very slowly altered to the square well form

V(x)={0,L<x<L elsewhere V(x)=\left\{\begin{array}{cc} 0, & -L<x<L \\ \infty & \text { elsewhere } \end{array}\right.

Show that the greatest particle energy is now

E2=π28E12mL2ω2.E_{2}=\frac{\pi^{2}}{8} \frac{E_{1}^{2}}{m L^{2} \omega^{2}} .