Angular Momentum and Rotational Motion in Three Dimensions

Abstract

This chapter treats rotations in three dimensions and the angular momentum quantum mechanically. The angular momentum is a 3-vector that plays the same role in the kinetic energy of rotating particles as the linear momentum 3-vector plays in the kinetic energy for translational motion. The quantum operator for the three components do not commute, i.e. the full vector cannot be known. Each component commutes with the operator for the square-length of the angular momentum vector, and therefore one opts for calculating the square-length and one of the components, z, referred to as the projection. The angular momentum is quantized. The (azimuthal) quantum number ℓ = 0,1,2,3… quantifies the square-length as ℓ(ℓ+1), and the projection is quantified by the (magnbetic) quantum number mℓ = -ℓ…ℓ in integer steps. The eigenfunctions are called spherical harmonics. A ‘rigid rotor’ model is set up to treat the rotational spectrum of a diatomic molecule.