Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2016/ib/paper-3/8b/b/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ib Paper 3 8B b Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
The global time-dependent phase cancels from the probability current. Put . Direct multiplication givesThe second term is real, because the expression in parentheses is purely imaginary. HenceThe first plane wave travels to the right with incident current ; the second travels to the left with reflected current . Their wave interference changes the probability density but cancels from the net current. The current vanishes for , is positive for , and is negative for . These plane waves are scattering states, not individually normalizable bound states.
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