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| == Questions and answers about the lecture or lecture notes == | == Questions and answers about lectures or lecture notes == Question hello i'm reading through the lecture notes and i have some questions. first, what is meant by $\psi^*$? i think ive seen that before but i do not remember and its not in any of my notes. is it the wave function of a particle moving in the opposite direction as $\psi$? Answer First of all, Kudos for reading and asking questions! $\psi^*$ is literally the complex conjugate of $\psi$. The physical meaning is actually exactly as you say! Moving in the opposite direction! A more correct way to say it is the time-reversed state. However, just knowing "complex conjugate" is fine at this point. Question also, is the hamiltonian operator just the energy of the system? i have never heard of it before this class. Answer It could be that it was shown with the Schrodinger equation (in 101), and the meaning was not let known. TISE (time-independent Schrodinger equation): $H \psi = E \psi$. $H$ is the QM operator for energy. The eigenvalue of $H$ or the expectation value of $H$ is the energy. |
Questions and answers about lectures or lecture notes
Question
- hello i'm reading through the lecture notes and i have some questions.
first, what is meant by $\psi^*$? i think ive seen that before but i do not remember and its not in any of my notes. is it the wave function of a particle moving in the opposite direction as $\psi$?
Answer
First of all, Kudos for reading and asking questions! $\psi^*$ is literally the complex conjugate of $\psi$. The physical meaning is actually exactly as you say! Moving in the opposite direction! A more correct way to say it is the time-reversed state. However, just knowing "complex conjugate" is fine at this point.
Question
- also, is the hamiltonian operator just the energy of the system? i have never heard of it before this class.
Answer
- It could be that it was shown with the Schrodinger equation (in 101), and the meaning was not let known.
TISE (time-independent Schrodinger equation): $H \psi = E \psi$. $H$ is the QM operator for energy. The eigenvalue of $H$ or the expectation value of $H$ is the energy.