[Physics] Why is the momentum-space wavefunction for a free particle not a function of time

fourier transformquantum mechanicsschroedinger equationtime evolution

Suppose the initial wave function of a free particle is given by $\psi(x,0)$. Now to find how the wave function evolves with time we generally do the Fourier transform of the wave function at $t=0$.

The Fourier transform is given by $\phi(k)$ and the time dependence of the wave function is given by
$$\int_{-\infty}^{\infty} \phi(k)\exp\biggl(ikx-\frac{ihk^2t}{4m\pi}\biggr)\mathrm{d}k$$
where $k$ is given by
$$k=\frac{\sqrt{2mE}}{h/2\pi}$$
This is the procedure as given in Griffiths' quantum mechanics 2nd edition.
Now my question is why the amplitude corresponding to $k$, $\phi(k)$, is only a function of $k$, not time, i.e, $\phi(k,t)$?

The statement given in the book is,

$$\Psi(x, t) = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2\pi}}\int_{-\infty}^{+\infty}\phi(k) e^{i\bigl(kx – \frac{\hbar k^2}{2m}t\bigr)}\mathrm{d}k$$

Why it is not $\phi(k,t)$?

Best Answer

The Fourier transform $\phi(k)$ is a function only of $k$ and not of time because it indicates the amplitude of each plane wave that compose the wave function.

The amplitudes are conserved in time, because the plane waves linear superpose among them and don't interact.

The evolution in time so is not in the amplitudes $\phi(k)$, but you can observe how evolves each plane wave and summed again the evolved ones with the previous amplitudes $\phi(k)$