Quantum Mechanics Demystified, Second Edition
by: David McMahon
Abstract: If you think projection operators work in the cinema, or learning about spin-1/2 makes your head, well, spin, Quantum Mechanics DeMYSTiFieD will energize your knowledge of this topic's fundamental concepts and theories, and allow you to learn at your own pace. This thoroughly revised and updated guide eases you into the subject, beginning with wave mechanics then introducing you to the mathematical foundations needed to do modern quantum physics. As you progress, you will learn the fundamentals of matrix mechanics, including how to compute the trace of a matrix, find eigenvalues, and use ladder operators. You will understand the difference between time independent perturbation and time dependent perturbation theory and other once-complicated concepts. Detailed examples make it easy to understand the material, and end-of-chapter quizzes and a final exam help reinforce key ideas.
Full details
Table of Contents
- A. DeMYSTiFieD® Series
- B. About the Author
- C. Introduction
- 1. Historical Review
- 2. Basic Developments
- 3. The Time-Independent Schrödinger Equation
- 4. An Introduction to Hilbert Space
- 5. The Mathematical Structure of Quantum Mechanics I
- 6. The Mathematical Structure of Quantum Mechanics II
- 7. The Mathematical Structure of Quantum Mechanics III
- 8. The Foundations of Quantum Mechanics
- 9. The Harmonic Oscillator
- 10. Angular Momentum
- 11. Spin-1/2 Systems
- 12. Quantum Mechanics in Three Dimensions
- 13. Identical Particles
- 14. Time-Independent Perturbation Theory
- 15. Applications of Perturbation Theory to the Hydrogen Atom
- 16. Time-Dependent Perturbation Theory
- 17. Scattering
- A. Final Exam
- B. Answers to Quiz and Exam Questions
- C. Curriculum Guide
Tools & Media
Expanded Table of Contents
- A. DeMYSTiFieD® Series
- B. About the Author
- C. Introduction
- 1. Historical Review
- 2. Basic Developments
- CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
- The Schrödinger Equation
- Solving the Schrödinger Equation
- The Probability Interpretation and Normalization
- Expansion of the Wavefunction and Finding Coefficients
- The Phase of a Wavefunction
- Operators in Quantum Mechanics
- Momentum and the Uncertainty Principle
- The Conservation of Probability
- Summary
- QUIZ
- 3. The Time-Independent Schrödinger Equation
- 4. An Introduction to Hilbert Space
- 5. The Mathematical Structure of Quantum Mechanics I
- 6. The Mathematical Structure of Quantum Mechanics II
- 7. The Mathematical Structure of Quantum Mechanics III
- 8. The Foundations of Quantum Mechanics
- CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
- The Postulates of Quantum Mechanics
- Spectral Decomposition
- Projective Measurements
- The Completeness Relation
- Completely Specifying a State with a CSCO
- The Heisenberg versus Schrödinger Pictures
- Describing Composite Systems in Quantum Mechanics
- The Matrix Representation of a Tensor Product
- The Tensor Product of State Vectors
- The Density Operator
- The Density Operator for a Completely Mixed State
- A Brief Introduction to the Bloch Vector
- Summary
- QUIZ
- 9. The Harmonic Oscillator
- 10. Angular Momentum
- 11. Spin-1/2 Systems
- CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
- The Stern-Gerlach Experiment
- The Basis States for Spin-1/2 Systems
- Using the Ladder Operators to Construct Sx, Sy
- Unitary Transformations for Spin-1/2 Systems
- The Outer Product Representation of the Spin Operators
- The Pauli Matrices
- The Time Evolution of Spin-1/2 States
- The Density Operator for Spin-1/2 Systems
- Summary
- QUIZ
- 12. Quantum Mechanics in Three Dimensions
- 13. Identical Particles
- 14. Time-Independent Perturbation Theory
- 15. Applications of Perturbation Theory to the Hydrogen Atom
- 16. Time-Dependent Perturbation Theory
- 17. Scattering
- A. Final Exam
- B. Answers to Quiz and Exam Questions
- C. Curriculum Guide
Book Details
Title: Quantum Mechanics Demystified, Second Edition
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education: New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Athens, London, Madrid, Mexico City, Milan, New Delhi, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto
Copyright / Pub. Date: 2013 McGraw-Hill Education
ISBN: 9780071765633
Authors:
David McMahon
works as a researcher in the National Laboratories on nuclear energy. He has advanced degrees in physics and applied mathematics, and has authored several DeMYSTiFieD titles, including Quantum Mechanics DeMYSTiFieD, Relativity DeMYSTiFieD, Linear Algebra DeMYSTiFieD, Quantum Field Theory DeMYSTiFieD, and String Theory DeMYSTiFieD.
Description: If you think projection operators work in the cinema, or learning about spin-1/2 makes your head, well, spin, Quantum Mechanics DeMYSTiFieD will energize your knowledge of this topic's fundamental concepts and theories, and allow you to learn at your own pace. This thoroughly revised and updated guide eases you into the subject, beginning with wave mechanics then introducing you to the mathematical foundations needed to do modern quantum physics. As you progress, you will learn the fundamentals of matrix mechanics, including how to compute the trace of a matrix, find eigenvalues, and use ladder operators. You will understand the difference between time independent perturbation and time dependent perturbation theory and other once-complicated concepts. Detailed examples make it easy to understand the material, and end-of-chapter quizzes and a final exam help reinforce key ideas.
