Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 ii Paper 3 34D Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
Expand the state in the energy eigenstates of asSubstitution into the Time-dependent Schrodinger equation and projection onto gives the exact interaction picture equationsIn first-order time-dependent perturbation theory, put on the right-hand side and integrate from to :
For a uniform electric field, the electric-dipole interaction is up to an irrelevant overall sign. The supplied hydrogen atom wavefunctions giveFor , the time integral isThe long-time transition fraction is consequentlyBoth and have even parity, whereas is odd, so the electric-dipole selection rule gives . Thus the requested fraction in is zero.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 ib Paper 1 15B Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
The Time-dependent Schrodinger equation for the one-dimensional Quantum harmonic oscillator isA stationary state has , so cancellation of the common time factor gives
If is monic of degree , the coefficient of in this equation is . It must vanish, soWriting gives the recurrenceThe coefficient of first gives , and the recurrence preserves parity. If is even, every odd coefficient vanishes, so is an even function. The Gaussian factor is also even; therefore the stationary state has even parity.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2020 ii Paper 1 35C Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
In the Parity basis of a one-dimensional S-matrix, parity acts as . Parity invariance requiresand thereforeIndependently, unitarity givesCombining parity and unitarity leaves two phases,
For the symmetric double-delta potential, consider the odd channel on . Choose the asymptotic conventionand write for ; the sine enforces odd parity at the origin. Continuity and the delta potential derivative jump at giveEliminating yields the Odd-parity S-matrix of a symmetric double-delta potentialUsing rewrites this as the requested expressionFor real , the two factors in the ratio are complex conjugates, directly confirming .
A bound state occurs at a pole , . Setting the denominator to zero givesorFor , write . The right-hand side is increasing and concave, starts at zero with slope , and approaches , whereas the left-hand side is the straight line . A positive intersection therefore exists exactly whenThis is the odd bound state of a symmetric double-delta potential; equality is its zero-energy threshold.
For , analytically continue the same pole equation into the lower half of the complex -plane. PutIt becomesWhen , the lowest odd mode lies near the hard-wall value . Writing and expanding givessoIn particular, the odd resonance of a strongly repulsive symmetric double-delta potential hasThe negative imaginary part identifies a decaying scattering resonance. Ifthen, to leading nonzero order,Its time-dependent amplitude is proportional toso its survival probability decays as and its lifetime isPhysically, this is the lowest odd standing wave trapped for a long time between two strong repulsive barriers and leaking out by quantum tunnelling.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2021 ii Paper 1 12F ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2021 ii Paper 2 35B b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Since , the perturbation isEvery diagonal matrix element vanishes by parity, so all first-order shifts are zero. For the ground state,The second-order shift is thereforeThusFor every nonzero real , the cubic potential is unbounded below on one side, so there are no genuine bound-state eigenvalues continuously connected to the harmonic levels. The formal perturbation series does not converge; it is at best asymptotic to resonance energies.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 ii Paper 1 35D b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The parity of a wavefunction is its eigenvalue under spatial reflection: for even parity and for odd parity. If , the Hamiltonian commutes with reflection, so its energy eigenspaces admit a parity eigenbasis. In particular, every nondegenerate bound-state energy eigenfunction has definite parity; within a degenerate scattering eigenspace one must choose the even and odd linear combinations.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 ii Paper 4 33A b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
To first order in , time-dependent perturbation theory replaces the state on the right-hand side by its unperturbed value . The bound state is even, while the position operator is odd. The parity selection rule therefore givesso and, with no initial continuum component,
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 305 1 i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Write . Parity reverses the spatial coordinates and must exchange the two chiral Weyl spinors. One convenient choice isThe identities and exchange the two kinetic terms after . The mass bilinear maps to its complex conjugate , so the two mass terms are exchanged and the action is invariant. More generally, independent unit phases may multiply the two transformations provided .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 307 1 c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Apply parity to the mixed anticommutator. The transformed left-hand side isbecause . The Pauli-matrix identity represented by this product leaves the temporal matrix unchanged and reverses the three spatial matrices, so it equalsBut a parity transformation acts on momentum as and . This is exactly the parity transform ofso is consistent with the stated transformation law. The arbitrary intrinsic phase cancels.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 iii Paper 305 2 ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
With matrix-valued fields, charge conjugation acts asUnder parity, is even and is odd:Consequently is odd and is even. Under time-reversal symmetry, which is antiunitary, is even and is odd after ; hence is even and is odd. Equivalently, the non-Abelian electric and magnetic fields transform as
Pseudoscalar meson 2026-10-06
A meson with zero spin angular momentum and negative parity. The pion and kaon are familiar examples. Between two pseudoscalar mesons, parity conservation in the strong interaction forces the axial current matrix element to vanish, while the vector current has pseudoscalar-to-pseudoscalar form factors. The weak decay as a whole need not conserve parity.
Symmetric double-delta potential 2026-09-29
The symmetric double-delta potentialseparates into even and odd parity channels. At either interaction, the wavefunction is continuous and its derivative has the jump