 Probability concentration of a circular Coulomb eigenstate

For a nonnegative integer $\ell$, this Coulomb potential energy eigenstate has principal quantum number $\ell +1$ and maximal magnetic quantum number. Put $b=(\ell +1)a$. Including the spherical volume element, its radial probability density is a gamma distribution proportional to $r^{2\ell +2}{e}^{-2r/b}$; its polar density is proportional to ${\sin }^{2\ell +1}\theta$, while its azimuth is uniform. Radial and polar variables are independent. Their moments satisfyThe radial identities follow by successive integration by parts; the angular identity follows from ${\int }_0^{\pi }{\sin }^{j+2}\theta d\theta =(j+1){\int }_0^{\pi }{\sin }^j\theta d\theta /(j+2)$.

Set $h=(2\ell +3{)}^{-1/3}$. Chebyshev's inequality and Markov's inequality give $\mathbb{P}(|r/\mu -1|>h)\le h$ and $\mathbb{P}(|\cos \theta |>h)\le h$. By the union bound, outside an event of probability at most $2h$, the point lies at distance $O(\mu h)$ from the equatorial circle of radius $\mu$. The quantum state therefore concentrates near a classical circular orbit in relative units as $\ell$ grows. The absolute orbit radius and absolute transverse width both grow; this statement does not assert localization in a fixed narrow tube.