Page 8 - PRINCIPLES OF QUANTUM MECHANICS as Applied to Chemistry and Chemical Physics

Preface

This book is intended as a text for a ®rst-year physical-chemistry or chemical-
physics graduate course in quantum mechanics. Emphasis is placed on a
rigorous mathematical presentation of the principles of quantum mechanics
with applications serving as illustrations of the basic theory. The material is
normally covered in the ®rst semester of a two-term sequence and is based on
the graduate course that I have taught from time to time at the University of
Pennsylvania. The book may also be used for independent study and as a
reference throughout and beyond the student's academic program.
The ®rst two chapters serve as an introduction to quantum theory. It is
assumed that the student has already been exposed to elementary quantum
mechanics and to the historical events that led to its development in an
undergraduate physical chemistry course or in a course on atomic physics.
Accordingly, the historical development of quantum theory is not covered. To
serve as a rationale for the postulates of quantum theory, Chapter 1 discusses
wave motion and wave packets and then relates particle motion to wave motion.
In Chapter 2 the time-dependent and time-independent Schrodinger equations
È
are introduced along with a discussion of wave functions for particles in a
potential ®eld. Some instructors may wish to omit the ®rst or both of these
chapters or to present abbreviated versions.
Chapter 3 is the heart of the book. It presents the postulates of quantum
mechanics and the mathematics required for understanding and applying the
postulates. This chapter stands on its own and does not require the student to
have read Chapters 1 and 2, although some previous knowledge of quantum
mechanics from an undergraduate course is highly desirable.
Chapters 4, 5, and 6 discuss basic applications of importance to chemists. In
all cases the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues are obtained by means of raising
and lowering operators. There are several advantages to using this ladder
operator technique over the older procedure of solving a second-order differ-

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