Hyperspherical Harmonics And Their Physical Applications

Hyperspherical Harmonics And Their Physical Applications

Hyperspherical harmonics are extremely useful in nuclear physics and reactive scattering theory. However, their use has been confined to specialists with very strong backgrounds in mathematics. This book aims to change the theory of hyperspherical harmonics from an esoteric field, mastered by specialists, into an easily-used tool with a place in the working kit of all theoretical physicists, theoretical chemists and mathematicians. The theory presented here is accessible without the knowledge of Lie-groups and representation theory, and can be understood with an ordinary knowledge of calculus. The book is accompanied by programs and exercises designed for teaching and practical use.

Hyperspherical Harmonics

where d 3 3)2 ( L x - -- i3x j3x j i i>j Thus the Gegenbauer polynomials play a role in the theory of hyper spherical harmonics which is analogous to the role played by Legendre polynomials in the familiar theory of 3-dimensional spherical harmonics; and when d = 3, the Gegenbauer polynomials reduce to Legendre polynomials. The familiar sum rule, in 'lrlhich a sum of spherical harmonics is expressed as a Legendre polynomial, also has a d-dimensional generalization, in which a sum of hyper spherical harmonics is expressed as a Gegenbauer polynomial (equation (3-27»: The hyper spherical harmonics which appear in this sum rule are eigenfunctions of the generalized angular monentum 2 operator A , chosen in such a way as to fulfil the orthonormality relation: VIe are all familiar with the fact that a plane wave can be expanded in terms of spherical Bessel functions and either Legendre polynomials or spherical harmonics in a 3-dimensional space. Similarly, one finds that a d-dimensional plane wave can be expanded in terms of HYPERSPHERICAL HARMONICS xii "hyperspherical Bessel functions" and either Gegenbauer polynomials or else hyperspherical harmonics (equations ( 4 - 27) and ( 4 - 30) ) : 00 ik·x e = (d-4)!!A~oiA(d+2A-2)j~(kr)C~(~k'~) 00 (d-2)!!I(0) 2: iAj~(kr) 2:Y~ (["2k)Y (["2) A A=O ). l). l)J where I(O) is the total solid angle. This expansion of a d-dimensional plane wave is useful when we wish to calculate Fourier transforms in a d-dimensional space.

An Elementary Treatise on Spherical Harmonics and Subjects Connected with Them