Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2019/ib/paper-2/17b/solution

The total angular momentum operator is
Using the cyclic orbital angular momentum commutation relations,
while ; hence . In Cartesian coordinates,
Because and it annihilates and every radial function,
Replacing by gives eigenvalue .
The six-dimensional space splits into the five trace-free quadratic spherical harmonics with and one radial state with . A simultaneous eigenbasis for and is
where the eigenvalue of was used. Every displayed state is a complex linear combination of the original six energy eigenstates, so it is still an energy eigenstate at the same level.

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