English

Analytic results for Gaussian wave packets in four model systems: I. Visualization of the kinetic energy

Quantum Physics 2009-11-10 v1

Abstract

Using Gaussian wave packet solutions, we examine how the kinetic energy is distributed in time-dependent solutions of the Schrodinger equation corresponding to the cases of a free particle, a particle undergoing uniform acceleration, a particle in a harmonic oscillator potential, and a system corresponding to an unstable equilibrium. We find, for specific choices of initial parameters, that as much as 90% of the kinetic energy can be localized (at least conceptually) in the `front half' of such Gaussian wave packets, and we visualize these effects.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.quant-ph/0408049,
  title  = {Analytic results for Gaussian wave packets in four model systems: I. Visualization of the kinetic energy},
  author = {R. W. Robinett and L. C. Bassett},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:quant-ph/0408049},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

22 pages, RevTeX, four .eps figures, to appear in Found. Phys. Lett. Vol. 17, Dec. 2004