Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-quantum-theory-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2015/1/b/iii/solution
Past exam of the quantum theory course of the University of Oxford 2015 1 b iii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
At a finite jump in potential energy, the wavefunction and its first derivative must be continuous. A jump in the derivative would create a Dirac delta function in , for which the finite potential has no balancing term. For the even solution, matching at givesA nonzero solution cannot have . It also cannot have : the first condition would give , while the second would force , a contradiction. Division is therefore valid and yieldsParity makes the conditions at identical to those already imposed. Finally the definitions of the decay and oscillation constants giveThe circle relation fixes the well strength; the tangent relation selects its even bound states.
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