COURSE OF THEORETICAL PHYSICS Volume 3 QUANTUM MECHANICS Non-relativistic Theory Third edition, revised and enlargedTitles in the Series: Vol. 1. Mechanics, 3rd Ed. Vol. 2. The Classical Theory of Fields, 4th Ed. Vol. 3. Quantum Mechanics— Non-relativistic Theory, 3rd Ed. Vol. 4. Quantum Electrodynamics Vol. 5. Statistical Physics, Part 1, 3rd Ed. Vol. 6. Fluid Mechanics Vol. 7. Theory of Elasticity, 2nd Ed. Vol. 8. Electrodynamics of Continuous Media, 2nd Ed. Vol. 9. Statistical Plysics, Part 2 Vol. 10. Physical Kinetics A SHORTER COURSE OF THEORETICAL PHYSICS (Based on the Course of Theoretical Physics) Vol. 1. Mechanics and Electrodynamics Vol. 2. Quantum Mechanics Also of interest: GOTSMAN et al.: Frontiers of Physics (Proceedings of the Landau Memorial Conference, Tel Aviv, Israel) In preparation: LIFSHITZ: Perspectives in Theoretical Physics (The Collected Papers of E. M. Lifshitz) LUTHER: Advances in Thecretical Physics (Proceedings of the Landau Birthday Symposium, Copenhagen, Denmark) Full details of all Pergamon publications are available on request from your nearest Pergamon officeQUANTUM MECHANICS NON-RELATIVISTIC THEORY by L. D. LANDAU anp E. M. LIFSHITZ INSTITUTE OF PHYSICAL PROBLEMS, U.S.S.R- ACADEMY OF SCIENCES Volume 3 of Course of Theoretical Physics Translated from the Russian by J. B. SYKES anv J. 8. BELL Third edition, revised and enlarged © PERGAMON PRESS Member of Maxwell Macmillan Pergamon Publishing Corporation OXFORD - NEW YORK BEIJING - FRANKFURT SAO PAULO « SYDNEY - TOKYO - TORONTOUK USA. PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY BRAZIL. AUSTRALIA JAPAN CANADA Pergamon Press ple, Headington Hill Hall, (Oxford OX3 OBW, England Pergamon Press Inc., Maxwell House, Fairview Park, Elmsford, New York 10523, U.S.A. Pergamon Press, Room 4037, Qianmen Hotel, Beijing, People's Republic of China Pergamon Press GmbH, Hammerweg 6, 1D-6242 Kronberg, Federal Republic of Germany Pergamon Editora Lida, Rua Eya de Queiros, 346. CEP 04011, Paraiso, So Paulo, Brazil Pergamon Press Australia Pty Ltd, P.O. Box 544, Potts Point, N.S.W. 2011, Australia non Press, 5th Floor, Matsuoka Central Buildin Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160, Japan Pergamon Press Canada Lid., Suite No. 271, 253 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada MST IRS Copyright © 1977 Pergamon Press Lid AUl Righis Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retriecal system or ransmilted in any form or by any means: electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otheruase, without permission in writing from the publishers. First published in Englis Reprinted 1959, 1962 Second revised edition 1965 “Third revised edition 1977 Reprinted 1981. 1985, 1987 Reprinted 1989 (with corrections) Repnnted 1991 (with corrections) in 1958 ‘Translated from the fourth edition of Krantovaya mekhanika: nerelyativistskaya leoriya, Idatel’stvo “Nauka” Moscow, 1989. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Landau, Lev Davidovich, 1908-1968, Quantum mechanics. (Course of theoretical physics: v.3) “Translation of Kvantovaia mekhanika. Includes bibliographical references and index 1. Quantum theory 1. Lifshitz, Exgenit Mikhailovich, joint author. 11, ‘Title. QCI74.12.L3513 1976 530.12 76-18223 ISBN 0-08-020940-8 (Hardcover) ISBN 0-08-029140-6 (Flexicover) Printed in Great Britain by BPCC Wheatons Ltd, Exetergl. §2. 3. §5. §6. §7. §8. §9. §10. §l. §12. §13. gi4. gts, $16. §17. gg, §19. §20. §21. §22. §23. §24. §25. §26. §27. §28. CONTENTS From the Preface to the first English edition Preface to the second English edition Preface to the third Russian edition Editor's Preface to the fourth Russian edition Notation I. THE BASIC CONCEPTS OF QUANTUM MECHANICS The uncertainty principle The principle of superposition Operators Addition and multiplication of operators The continuous spectrum The passage to the limiting case of classical mechanics The wave function and measurements IL ENERGY AND MOMENTUM The Hamiltonian operator The differentiation of operators with respect to time Stationary states Matrices Transformation of matrices The Heisenberg representation of operators The density matrix Momentum Uncertainty relations II]. SCHRODINGER’S EQUATION Schrédinger’s equation The fundamental properties of Schrédinger’s equation The current density The variational principle General properties of motion in one dimension The potential well The linear oscillator Motion in a homogeneous field The transmission coefficient Iv. ANGULAR MOMENTUM Angular momentum Eigenvalues of the angular momentum Eigenfunctions of the angular momentum v Page xi xii xiii xiv xv 25 27 30 35 37 38 41 45 50 53 55 58 60 63 67 4 76 82 86 89§29. §30. §31, §32. §33. $34. §35. §36. 937. §38. 339, $40. sal. 42, $43. $45. §.0. 47. 48. 49. §50. §51. §52. §53. §54. §55. §56. §57. §58. §59. 560. §61. §62. Contents Matrix elements of vectors Parity of a state Addition of angular momenta v. MOTION IN A CENTRALLY SYMMETRIC FIELD Motion in a centrally syrnmetric field Spherical waves Resolution of a plane wave Fall of a particle to the centre Motion in a Coulomb field (spherical polar coordinates) Motion in a Coulomb field (parabolic coordinates) VI. PERTURBATION THEORY Perturbations independent of time The secular equation Perturbations depending on time Transitions under 2 perturbation acting for a finite time Transitions under the action of a periodic perturbation Transitions in the continuous spectrum The uncertainty relation for energy Potential energy as a perturbation VII. THE QUASI-CLASSICAL CASE The wave function in the quasi-classical case Boundary conditions in the quasi-classical case Bohr and Sommerfeld’s quantization rule Quasi-classical motion in a centrally symmetric field Penetration through a potential barrier Calculation of the quasi-classical matrix elements ‘The transition probability in the quasi-classical case Transitions under the action of adiabatic perturbations VIII. SPIN Spin The spin operator Spinors ‘The wave functions of particles with arbitrary spin ‘The operator of finite rotations Partial polarization of particles Time reversal and Kramers’ theorem IX. IDENTITY OF PARTICLES The principle of indistinguishability of similar particles Exchange interaction Page 96 99 102 105 112 114 117 129 135 138 142 146 151 154 157 159 164 167 170 175 179 185 191 195 199 203 206 210 215 221 223 230§63. §64. §65. §66. 967. §68. §69. §70. g7i. §72. §73. §74. §75. §76. 977. §78. §79. §80. §81. §82. §83. §84. §85. §86. §87. §88. §89. §90. gol. §92. §93. §94. §95. §96. Contents Symmetry with respect to interchange Second quantization. The case of Bose statistics Second quantization. The case of Fermi statistics X. THE ATOM Atomic energy levels Electron states in the atom Hydrogen-like energy levels The self-consistent field ‘The Thomas-Fermi equation Wave functions of the outer electrons near the nucleus Fine structure of atomic levels The Mendeleev periodic system X-ray terms Multipole moments An atom in an electric field A hydrogen atom in an electric field XI. THE DIATOMIC MOLECULE Electron terms in the diatomic molecule The intersection of electron terms The relation between molecular and atomic terms Valency Vibrational and rotational structures of singlet terms in the diatomic molecule Multiplet terms. Case a Multiplet terms. Case b Multiplet terms. Cases ¢ and d Symmetry of molecular terms Matrix elements for the diatomic molecule A-doubling The interaction of atoms at large distances Pre-dissociation XII. THE THEORY OF SYMMETRY Symmetry transformations Transformation groups Point groups Representations of groups Irreducible representations of point groups Irreducible representations and the classification of terms Page 234 241 251 252 256 257 261 266 267 271 279 281 284 289 300 302 305 309 316 321 325 329 331 334 338 341 344 356 359 362 370 378 382997. §98. 599. §100. §101. §102, §103. §104. §105. §106. §107. §108. §109. §110. git. g112. §113, gil4. gs. gue. gui7. §118, §119. §120. §121. §122. §123. §124. §125. §126. §127. Contents Page Selection rules for matrix elements 385 Continuous groups 389 Two-valued representations of finite point groups 393 XIN. POLYATOMIC MOLECULES The classification of molecular vibrations 398 Vibrational energy levels 405 Stability of symmetrical configurations of the molecule 407 Quantization of the rotation of a top 412 ‘The interaction between the vibrations and the rotation of the molecule 421 The classification of molecular terms 425 XIV. ADDITION OF ANGULAR MOMENTA 3j-symbols 433 Matrix elements of tensors 441 6j-symbols 444 Matrix elements for addition of angular momenta 450 Matrix elements for axially symmetric systems 452 XV. MOTION IN A MAGNETIC FIELD Schrédinger’s equation in a magnetic field 455 Motion in a uniform magnetic field 458 An atom in a magnetic field 463 Spin in a variable magnetic field 470 The current density in a magnetic field 472 XVI. NUCLEAR STRUCTURE Isotopic invariance 474 Nuclear forces 478 The shell model 482 Non-spherical nuclei 491 Isotopic shift 496 Hyperfine structure of atomic levels 498 Hyperfine structure of molecular levels 501 XVII. ELASTIC COLLISIONS The general theory of scattering 504 An investigation of the general formula 508 The unitarity condition for scattering sil Born’s formula 515 The quasi-classical case 521