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general_considerations [2020/07/20 22:58] – [In Class Activities] admingeneral_considerations [2020/07/21 05:39] (current) – [4.iii.4 Boundary Conditions] admin
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 do not have a continuous derivative at $x=0$ or $x=a$.  For example, do not have a continuous derivative at $x=0$ or $x=a$.  For example,
  
-\[\lim_{\epsilon \rightarrow 0_+} \left . \frac{\mathrm{d}\psi}{\mathrm{d}x}\right |_{\epsilon} = \lim_{\epsilon \rightarrow 0} \frac{n\pi}{a}\cos \frac{n\pi\epsilon}{a} = \frac{n\pi}{a},\] +\[\lim_{\epsilon \rightarrow 0_+} \left . \frac{\mathrm{d}\psi}{\mathrm{d}x}\right |_{x=\epsilon} = \lim_{\epsilon \rightarrow 0} \frac{n\pi}{a}\cos \frac{n\pi\epsilon}{a} = \frac{n\pi}{a},\] 
  
-\[\lim_{\epsilon \rightarrow 0_-} \left . \frac{\mathrm{d}\psi}{\mathrm{d}x}\right |_{\epsilon} = \lim_{\epsilon \rightarrow 0} 0 = 0.\] +\[\lim_{\epsilon \rightarrow 0_-} \left . \frac{\mathrm{d}\psi}{\mathrm{d}x}\right |_{x=\epsilon} = \lim_{\epsilon \rightarrow 0} 0 = 0.\] 
  
 In fact, there are no solutions with finite energy that have continuous derivatives at the two ends of the well. In fact, there are no solutions with finite energy that have continuous derivatives at the two ends of the well.
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 \[\int_{x'-\epsilon}^{x'+\epsilon}\frac{\mathrm{d}^2\psi}{\mathrm{d}x^2}\,\mathrm{d}x=\frac{2m}{\hbar^2}\int_{x'-\epsilon}^{x'+\epsilon}V(x)\psi(x) \,\mathrm{d}x-\frac{2mE}{\hbar^2}\int_{x'-\epsilon}^{x'+\epsilon} \psi(x)\,\mathrm{d}x\]  \[\int_{x'-\epsilon}^{x'+\epsilon}\frac{\mathrm{d}^2\psi}{\mathrm{d}x^2}\,\mathrm{d}x=\frac{2m}{\hbar^2}\int_{x'-\epsilon}^{x'+\epsilon}V(x)\psi(x) \,\mathrm{d}x-\frac{2mE}{\hbar^2}\int_{x'-\epsilon}^{x'+\epsilon} \psi(x)\,\mathrm{d}x\] 
  
-Note that $\int_{x'-\epsilon}^{x'+\epsilon}\frac{\mathrm{d}^2\psi}{\mathrm{d}x^2}\,\mathrm{d}x= \left . \frac{\mathrm{d}\psi}{\mathrm{d}x} \right |_{x'+\epsilon} - \left . \frac{\mathrm{d}\psi}{\mathrm{d}x} \right |_{x'-\epsilon}$, so taking the limit of the right hand side as $\epsilon \rightarrow 0_+$ will give us the boundary condition on the derivative.  Now, if $\psi(x)$ is continuous then the second integral on the right hand side vanishes, so we are left with+Note that $\int_{x'-\epsilon}^{x'+\epsilon}\frac{\mathrm{d}^2\psi}{\mathrm{d}x^2}\,\mathrm{d}x= \left . \frac{\mathrm{d}\psi}{\mathrm{d}x} \right |_{x=x'+\epsilon} - \left . \frac{\mathrm{d}\psi}{\mathrm{d}x} \right |_{x=x'-\epsilon}$, so taking the limit of the right hand side as $\epsilon \rightarrow 0_+$ will give us the boundary condition on the derivative.  Now, if $\psi(x)$ is continuous then the second integral on the right hand side vanishes, so we are left with
  
-\[\lim_{\epsilon \rightarrow 0_+} \left [ \left . \frac{\mathrm{d}\psi}{\mathrm{d}x} \right |_{x'+\epsilon} - \left . \frac{\mathrm{d}\psi}{\mathrm{d}x} \right |_{x'-\epsilon}\right ]=\frac{2m}{\hbar^2}\int_{x'-\epsilon}^{x'+\epsilon}V(x)\psi(x)\,\mathrm{d}x\]+\[\lim_{\epsilon \rightarrow 0_+} \left [ \left . \frac{\mathrm{d}\psi}{\mathrm{d}x} \right |_{x=x'+\epsilon} - \left . \frac{\mathrm{d}\psi}{\mathrm{d}x} \right |_{x=x'-\epsilon}\right ]=\frac{2m}{\hbar^2} \lim_{\epsilon \rightarrow 0_+} \left [ \int_{x'-\epsilon}^{x'+\epsilon}V(x)\psi(x)\,\mathrm{d}x \right ]\]
  
 We will see how this can be used to determine the boundary condition for a delta function potential in section 4.vi. We will see how this can be used to determine the boundary condition for a delta function potential in section 4.vi.