Barrier repulsion delayed by wave packet contraction

Authors

  • Vincent Otero ⋅ PH Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Physics, University of the Philippines Los Banos
  • Anthony Allan Villanueva ⋅ PH Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Physics, UPLB

Abstract

We investigate a structureless particle (represented initially by a squeezed Gaussian wave packet) with a vanishing initial momentum expectation value in the vicinity of a step potential by calculating its position expectation values during the scattering process. The time-dependent Schrodinger equation (TDSE) was solved using the Crank-Nicolson (C-N) method, and the numerical wave packet obtained was used to compute for the position expectation value vs. time. The simulation showed that: (a) the step potential exerts a repulsive force on the initially “motionless” particle during the interaction, (b) a negative statistical correlation between the position and momentum of the particle causes a temporary contraction of the wave packet width, and (c) this wave packet contraction delays the onset of the barrier repulsion.

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Issue

Article ID

SPP-2024-1H-05

Section

Theoretical and Mathematical Physics

Published

2024-06-26

How to Cite

[1]
V Otero and AA Villanueva, Barrier repulsion delayed by wave packet contraction, Proceedings of the Samahang Pisika ng Pilipinas 42, SPP-2024-1H-05 (2024). URL: https://proceedings.spp-online.org/article/view/SPP-2024-1H-05.