Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-physics-a-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2012/paper-1/section-a/2/solution

Let , and . With , the next two normalized harmonic-oscillator wavefunctions are and . Their energies are , with respectively zero, one and two wavefunction nodes, alternating even and odd parity. The Schrödinger equation gives
For harmonic-oscillator wavefunction inflections, the inflections include both classical turning points and simple wavefunction wavefunction nodes. In dimensionless coordinates the complete sets are
The curvature changes sign at every listed point; none of these states has a wavefunction node coinciding with its turning points.
Figure 1.
Original lowest harmonic-oscillator wavefunctions with turning-point and node inflections distinguished
. Details.

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