A3.13 B3.21

Foundations of Quantum Mechanics
Part II, 2002

(i) Two particles with angular momenta j1,j2j_{1}, j_{2} and basis states j1m1,j2m2\left|j_{1} m_{1}\right\rangle,\left|j_{2} m_{2}\right\rangle are combined to give total angular momentum jj and basis states jm|j m\rangle. State the possible values of j,mj, m and show how a state with j=m=j1+j2j=m=j_{1}+j_{2} can be constructed. Briefly describe, for a general allowed value of jj, what the Clebsch-Gordan coefficients are.

(ii) If the angular momenta j1j_{1} and j2j_{2} are both 1 show that the combined state 20|20\rangle is

Determine the corresponding expressions for the combined states 10\left|\begin{array}{lll}1 & 0\rangle\end{array}\right\rangle and 00|0 \quad 0\rangle, assuming that they are respectively antisymmetric and symmetric under interchange of the two particles.

If the combined system is in state 00|0 \quad 0\rangle what is the probability that measurements of the zz-component of angular momentum for either constituent particle will give the value of 1 ?

[\left[\right. Hint: J±jm=(jm)(j±m+1)jm±1.]\left.\quad J_{\pm}|j m\rangle=\sqrt{(j \mp m)(j \pm m+1)}|j m \pm 1\rangle .\right]