Quantum Mechanics

The English translation of Osnovy kvantovol mekhaniki has been made from the third and fourth Russian editions. These contained a number of important additions and changes as compared with the first two editions. The main additions concern collision theory, and applications of quantum mechanics to the theory of the atomic nucleus and to the theory of elementary particles. The development of these branches in recent years, resulting from the very rapid progress made in nuclear physics, has been so great that such additions need scarcely be defended. Some additions relating to methods have also been made, for example concerning the quasiclassical approxi mation, the theory of the Clebsch-Gordan coefficients and several other matters with which the modern physicist needs to be acquainted. The alterations that have been made involve not only the elimination of obviously out-of-date material but also the refinement of various formulations and statements. For these refinements I am inde bted to many persons who at different times have expressed to me their critical comments and suggestions. Particularly important changes have been made regarding the definition of a quantum ensemble in Section 14.

Inhaltsverzeichnis:

I. Foundations of Quantum Theory.- II. Foundations of Quantum Mechanics.- III. Representation of Mechanical Quantities by Operators.- IV. Change of State with Time.- V. Change of Mechanical Quantities with Time.- VI. The Relation Between Quantum Mechanics, Classical Mechanics and Optics.- VII. Basic Theory of Representations.- VIII. Theory of the Motion of Microparticles in a Field of Potential Forces.- IX. Motion of a charged Microparticle in an Electromagnetic Field.- X. Intrinsic Angular Momentum and Magnetic Moment of the Electron. Spin.- XI. Perturbation Theory.- XII. Simple Applications of Perturbation Theory.- XIII. Collision Theory.- XIV. Theory of Quantum Transitions.- XV. Emission, Absorption and Scattering of Light by Atomic Systems.- XVI. The Passage of Microparticles Through Potential Barriers.- XVII. The Many-Body Problem.- XVIII. Simple Applications of the Theory of Motion of Many Bodies.- XIX. Systems of Identical Microparticles.- XX. Second Quantisation and Quantu m Statistics.- XXI. Multi-Electron Atoms.- XXII. Formation of Molecules.- XXIII. Magnetic Phenomena.- XXIV. The Atomic Nucleus.- XXV. Conclusion.- Appendices.- I. The Fourier transformation.- II. Eigenfunctions when there is degeneracy.- III. Orthogonality and normalisation of eigenfunctions of the continuous spectrum. The ?-function.- IV. The significance of commutability of operators.- VI. Hamilton's equations.- VII. Schrödinger's equation and the equations of motion in curvilinear co-ordinates.- VIII. Conditions on the wave function.- IX. The solution of the oscillator equation.- X. An electron in a uniform magnetic field.- XI. Jacobi co-ordinates.- References.