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author | Prefetch | 2021-02-20 15:56:36 +0100 |
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committer | Prefetch | 2021-02-20 15:56:36 +0100 |
commit | ce9aef392998e471d41f88beb54d07e58dbf57d3 (patch) | |
tree | d0422a1ef78ca8cddda37aa722e2b84184647ec8 /latex/know | |
parent | ea6c2ec194308563b53cfbcd9e0f09a4193acdfb (diff) |
Add "Probability current"
Diffstat (limited to 'latex/know')
-rw-r--r-- | latex/know/concept/probability-current/source.md | 85 |
1 files changed, 85 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/latex/know/concept/probability-current/source.md b/latex/know/concept/probability-current/source.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a6780f7 --- /dev/null +++ b/latex/know/concept/probability-current/source.md @@ -0,0 +1,85 @@ +# Probability current + +In quantum mechanics, the *probability current* expresses the movement +of the probability of finding a particle. Or in other words, it treats +the particle as a heterogeneous fluid with density $|\psi|^2$. Now, the +probability of finding the particle within a volume $V$ is given by: + +$$\begin{aligned} + P = \int_{V} | \psi |^2 \dd[3]{\vec{r}} +\end{aligned}$$ + +As the system evolves in time, this probability may change, so we take +its derivative with respect to time $t$, and when necessary substitute +in the other side of the Schrödinger equation to get: + +$$\begin{aligned} + \pd{P}{t} + &= \int_{V} \psi \pd{\psi^*}{t} + \psi^* \pd{\psi}{t} \dd[3]{\vec{r}} + = \frac{i}{\hbar} \int_{V} \psi (\hat{H} \psi^*) - \psi^* (\hat{H} \psi) \dd[3]{\vec{r}} + \\ + &= \frac{i}{\hbar} \int_{V} \psi \Big( \!-\! \frac{\hbar^2}{2 m} \nabla^2 \psi^* + V(\vec{r}) \psi^* \Big) + - \psi^* \Big( \!-\! \frac{\hbar^2}{2 m} \nabla^2 \psi + V(\vec{r}) \psi \Big) \dd[3]{\vec{r}} + \\ + &= \frac{i \hbar}{2 m} \int_{V} - \psi \nabla^2 \psi^* + \psi^* \nabla^2 \psi \dd[3]{\vec{r}} + = - \int_{V} \nabla \cdot \vec{J} \dd[3]{\vec{r}} +\end{aligned}$$ + +Where we have defined the probability current $\vec{J}$ as follows in +the $\vec{r}$-basis: + +$$\begin{aligned} + \vec{J} + = \frac{i \hbar}{2 m} (\psi \nabla \psi^* - \psi^* \nabla \psi) + = \mathrm{Re} \Big\{ \psi \frac{i \hbar}{m} \psi^* \Big\} +\end{aligned}$$ + +Let us rewrite this using the momentum operator +$\hat{p} = -i \hbar \nabla$ as follows, noting that $\hat{p} / m$ is +simply the velocity operator $\hat{v}$: + +$$\begin{aligned} + \boxed{ + \vec{J} + = \frac{1}{2 m} ( \psi^* \hat{p} \psi - \psi \hat{p} \psi^*) + = \mathrm{Re} \Big\{ \psi^* \frac{\hat{p}}{m} \psi \Big\} + = \mathrm{Re} \{ \psi^* \hat{v} \psi \} + } +\end{aligned}$$ + +Returning to the derivation of $\vec{J}$, we now have the following +equation: + +$$\begin{aligned} + \pd{P}{t} + = \int_{V} \pd{|\psi|^2}{t} \dd[3]{\vec{r}} + = - \int_{V} \nabla \cdot \vec{J} \dd[3]{\vec{r}} +\end{aligned}$$ + +By removing the integrals, we thus arrive at the *continuity equation* +for $\vec{J}$: + +$$\begin{aligned} + \boxed{ + \nabla \cdot \vec{J} + = - \pd{|\psi|^2}{t} + } +\end{aligned}$$ + +This states that probability is conserved, and is reminiscent of charge +conservation in electromagnetism. In other words, the probability at a +point can only change by letting it "flow" towards or away from it. Thus +$\vec{J}$ represents the flow of probability, which is analogous to the +motion of a particle. + +As a bonus, this still holds for a particle in an electromagnetic vector +potential $\vec{A}$, thanks to the gauge invariance of the Schrödinger +equation. We can thus extend the definition to a particle with charge +$q$ in an SI-unit field, neglecting spin: + +$$\begin{aligned} + \boxed{ + \vec{J} + = \mathrm{Re} \Big\{ \psi^* \frac{\hat{p} - q \vec{A}}{m} \psi \Big\} + } +\end{aligned}$$ |