Angular Momentum
Angular Momentum
𝑳= 𝒓×𝒑
The vector L is perpendicular to both the vectors r and p as shown in the diagram
below.
𝑚 is the mass of the particle moving with the linear velocity v in a circular path of
radius r, under the influence of a central potential.
The three components of the vector L can subsequently be defined through the relation
So that
(𝑦𝑝𝑧 − 𝑧𝑝𝑦 ) = 𝐿𝑥
(𝑧𝑝𝑥 − 𝑥𝑝𝑧 ) = 𝐿𝑦
(𝑥𝑝𝑦 − 𝑦𝑝𝑥 ) = 𝐿𝑧
Therefore
Also
𝐿2 = 𝐿𝑥 2 + 𝐿𝑦 2 + 𝐿𝑦 2
Proof
𝐿2 = 𝐿𝑥 2 + 𝐿𝑦 2 + 𝐿𝑦 2
Now we can obtain angular momentum operator by replacing (𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) 𝑎𝑛𝑑 (𝑝𝑥 , 𝑝𝑦 , 𝑝𝑧 )
by the corresponding operators
Now if we transform these to spherical coordinates, we first of all obtain the coordinates
from the diagram below,
Proof
𝑥2 + 𝑦2 + 𝑧2 = 𝑟2
We see that
𝑋 = 𝑥(𝑟, 𝜃, ∅)
𝑌 = 𝑦(𝑟, 𝜃, ∅)
𝑍 = 𝑧(𝑟, 𝜃)
Therefore we use the chain rule for partial derivatives i.e
𝜕 𝜕 𝜕𝑟 𝜕 𝜕𝜃 𝜕 𝜕∅
= . + . + .
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑟 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝜃 𝜕𝑥 𝜕∅ 𝜕𝑥
𝜕 𝜕 𝜕𝑟 𝜕 𝜕𝜃 𝜕 𝜕∅
= . + . + .
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑟 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝜃 𝜕𝑦 𝜕∅ 𝜕𝑦
𝜕 𝜕 𝜕𝑟 𝜕 𝜕𝜃 𝜕 𝜕∅
= . + . + .
𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑟 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝜃 𝜕𝑧 𝜕∅ 𝜕𝑧
Now from
𝑥2 + 𝑦2 + 𝑧2 = 𝑟2
𝜕𝑟 2
𝜕𝑟
= 𝜕𝑥
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑟 2
𝜕𝑟
𝜕𝑟 2 𝜕 2
= (𝑥 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 ) = 2𝑥
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥
𝜕𝑟 2 𝜕
= (𝑟 2 ) = 2𝑟
𝜕𝑟 𝜕𝑟
Hence
𝜕𝑟 2
𝜕𝑟 2𝑥 𝑥
= 𝜕𝑥2 = =
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑟 2𝑟 𝑟
𝜕𝑟
Similarly
𝜕𝑟 𝑦
=
𝜕𝑦 𝑟
𝜕𝑟 𝑧
=
𝜕𝑧 𝑟
𝜕 𝜕
With similar equations for 𝜕𝑧 and 𝜕𝑦. The task now is to evaluate the partial derivatives
𝜕𝑟
such as (𝜕𝑥) . Taking the partial derivatives for the equation 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 = 𝑟 2 with
𝑦,𝑧
respect to x at constant y and z, we have
From
𝐿2 = 𝐿𝑥 2 + 𝐿𝑦 2 + 𝐿𝑦 2
[𝐿𝑥 , 𝑦] = 𝐿𝑥 𝑦 − 𝑦𝐿𝑥
𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕
= −𝑖ђ (𝑦 − 𝑧 ) 𝑦 − 𝑦𝑖ђ (𝑦 − 𝑧 )
𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑦
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑦 𝜕 𝜕
= −𝑖ђ (𝑦 − 𝑧 ) − 𝑦𝑖ђ (𝑦 − 𝑧 )
𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑦
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑦
= −𝑖ђ (𝑦 −𝑧 )−0
𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑦
= −𝑖ђ(0 − 𝑧. 1)
= 𝑖ђ𝑧
Similarly it can be shown that
[𝐿𝑥 , 𝑥] = 0
[𝐿𝑧 , 𝑦] = −𝑖ђ𝑥
[𝐿𝑥 , 𝑧] = 𝑖ђ𝑦
[𝐿𝑥 , 𝐿𝑦 ] = 𝐿𝑥 𝐿𝑦 − 𝐿𝑦 𝐿𝑥
𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕
= {−𝑖ђ (𝑦 − 𝑧 )} {−𝑖ђ (𝑧 − 𝑥 )} − {−𝑖ђ (𝑧 − 𝑥 )} {−𝑖ђ (𝑦 − 𝑧 )}
𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑦
𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕
= −ђ2 {(𝑦 − 𝑧 )} {(𝑧 − 𝑥 )} − {(𝑧 − 𝑥 )} {(𝑦 − 𝑧 )}
𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑦
𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕
= −ђ2 {(𝑦 − 𝑧 ) (𝑧 − 𝑥 ) − (𝑧 − 𝑥 ) (𝑦 − 𝑧 )}
𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑦
𝜕𝑧 𝜕 𝜕𝑥 𝜕 𝜕𝑧 𝜕 𝜕𝑥 𝜕 𝜕𝑦 𝜕 𝜕𝑧 𝜕 𝜕𝑦 𝜕 𝜕𝑧 𝜕
= −ђ2 {(𝑦 −𝑦 −𝑧 +𝑧 ) − (𝑧 −𝑧 −𝑥 +𝑥 )}
𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑦
𝜕 𝜕
= −ђ2 {(𝑦 − 0 − 0 + 0) − (0 − 0 − +𝑥 )}
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦
𝜕 𝜕
= −ђ2 {(𝑦 ) − (𝑥 )}
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦
𝜕 𝜕
= −ђ2 (𝑦 −𝑥 )
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦
𝜕 𝜕
= ђ2 (𝑥 −𝑦 )
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥
𝜕 𝜕
= −(𝑖ђ)(𝑖ђ) (𝑥 −𝑦 )
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥
𝜕 𝜕
But 𝐿𝑧 = −𝑖ђ (𝑥 𝜕𝑦 − 𝑦 𝜕𝑥)
[𝐿𝑦 , 𝐿𝑧 ] = 𝑖ђ𝐿𝑥
[𝐿𝑧 , 𝐿𝑥 ] = 𝑖ђ𝐿𝑦
Hence any two different components of angular momentum do not commute as shown
with the three relations above.
Cyclic permutations
Similarly
[𝑳̂𝟐 , 𝐿𝑦 ] = 𝟎
[𝑳̂𝟐 , 𝐿𝑥 ] = 𝟎
Generally it is possible to measure 𝑳̂𝟐 and any one of its components simultaneously
at the same time.