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diff --git a/latex/know/concept/pauli-exclusion-principle/source.md b/latex/know/concept/pauli-exclusion-principle/source.md index 8870c0c..d1c2149 100644 --- a/latex/know/concept/pauli-exclusion-principle/source.md +++ b/latex/know/concept/pauli-exclusion-principle/source.md @@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ # Pauli exclusion principle -In quantum mechanics, the *Pauli exclusion principle* is a theorem that +In quantum mechanics, the **Pauli exclusion principle** is a theorem that has profound consequences for how the world works. Suppose we have a composite state @@ -26,14 +26,17 @@ $$\begin{aligned} Therefore, $\ket{a}\ket{b}$ is an eigenvector of $\hat{P}^2$ with eigenvalue $1$. Since $[\hat{P}, \hat{P}^2] = 0$, $\ket{a}\ket{b}$ must also be an eigenket of $\hat{P}$ with eigenvalue $\lambda$, -satisfying $\lambda^2 = 1$, so we know that $\lambda = 1$ or -$\lambda = -1$. +satisfying $\lambda^2 = 1$, so we know that $\lambda = 1$ or $\lambda = -1$: + +$$\begin{aligned} + \hat{P} \ket{a}\ket{b} = \lambda \ket{a}\ket{b} +\end{aligned}$$ As it turns out, in nature, each class of particle has a single associated permutation eigenvalue $\lambda$, or in other words: whether $\lambda$ is $-1$ or $1$ depends on the species of particle that $x_1$ and $x_2$ represent. Particles with $\lambda = -1$ are called -*fermions*, and those with $\lambda = 1$ are known as *bosons*. We +**fermions**, and those with $\lambda = 1$ are known as **bosons**. We define $\hat{P}_f$ with $\lambda = -1$ and $\hat{P}_b$ with $\lambda = 1$, such that: @@ -80,14 +83,14 @@ $$\begin{aligned} \end{aligned}$$ Where $C$ is a normalization constant. As expected, this state is -*symmetric*: switching $a$ and $b$ gives the same result. Meanwhile, for +**symmetric**: switching $a$ and $b$ gives the same result. Meanwhile, for fermions ($\lambda = -1$), we find that $\alpha = -\beta$: $$\begin{aligned} \ket{\Psi(a, b)}_f = C \big( \ket{a}\ket{b} - \ket{b}\ket{a} \big) \end{aligned}$$ -This state is called *antisymmetric* under exchange: switching $a$ and $b$ +This state is called **antisymmetric** under exchange: switching $a$ and $b$ causes a sign change, as we would expect for fermions. Now, what if the particles $x_1$ and $x_2$ are in the same state $a$? @@ -106,7 +109,7 @@ $$\begin{aligned} = 0 \end{aligned}$$ -At last, this is the Pauli exclusion principle: fermions may never -occupy the same quantum state. One of the many notable consequences of -this is that the shells of an atom only fit a limited number of -electrons, since each must have a different quantum number. +At last, this is the Pauli exclusion principle: **fermions may never +occupy the same quantum state**. One of the many notable consequences of +this is that the shells of atoms only fit a limited number of +electrons (which are fermions), since each must have a different quantum number. |