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Added some clarifications
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Marek
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That's probably (no pun intended) because it's not a probability density at all. Wave functions by themselves don't have any physical interpretation. Only their squares do.

The probability of transition is computed like this $$P_{1 \to 2} = {\left \Vert \left < \psi_1 | \psi_2 \right > \right \Vert^2 \over \left \Vert \psi_1 \right \Vert^2 \left \Vert \psi_2 \right \Vert^2}$$

What you've written is just a density of the probability amplitude $\left<\psi_1|x\right>\left<x|\psi_2\right>$. It can be complex so it certainly cannot be probability in any sense.

Edit regarding your additional comments: assuming that $\left \Vert \psi_1 \right \Vert^2 = \left \Vert \psi_2 \right \Vert^2 = 1$ you could write $P_{1 \to 2}$ like this $$P_{1 \to 2} = {\rm Tr} \left( \left|\psi_1\left> \right<\psi_1\right| \left|\psi_2\left> \right<\psi_2\right| \right) = \int \psi_1(y) \psi_1^*(x) \psi_2(x) \psi_2^*(y) {\rm d} x {\rm d} y$$ interpreting it as a trace of the product of projection operators. But this integral representation is basically never done, it's much easier to only compute the amplitude and square it when you're finished.

As a moral, you shouldn't insist on restricting your attention to some portion of position space. Quantum theory "doesn't like it" (except for few special constructions).

That's probably (no pun intended) because it's not a probability density at all. Wave functions by themselves don't have any physical interpretation. Only their squares do.

The probability of transition is computed like this $$P_{1 \to 2} = {\left \Vert \left < \psi_1 | \psi_2 \right > \right \Vert^2 \over \left \Vert \psi_1 \right \Vert^2 \left \Vert \psi_2 \right \Vert^2}$$

What you've written is just a density of the probability amplitude $\left<\psi_1|x\right>\left<x|\psi_2\right>$. It can be complex so it certainly cannot be probability in any sense.

That's probably (no pun intended) because it's not a probability density at all. Wave functions by themselves don't have any physical interpretation. Only their squares do.

The probability of transition is computed like this $$P_{1 \to 2} = {\left \Vert \left < \psi_1 | \psi_2 \right > \right \Vert^2 \over \left \Vert \psi_1 \right \Vert^2 \left \Vert \psi_2 \right \Vert^2}$$

What you've written is just a density of the probability amplitude $\left<\psi_1|x\right>\left<x|\psi_2\right>$. It can be complex so it certainly cannot be probability in any sense.

Edit regarding your additional comments: assuming that $\left \Vert \psi_1 \right \Vert^2 = \left \Vert \psi_2 \right \Vert^2 = 1$ you could write $P_{1 \to 2}$ like this $$P_{1 \to 2} = {\rm Tr} \left( \left|\psi_1\left> \right<\psi_1\right| \left|\psi_2\left> \right<\psi_2\right| \right) = \int \psi_1(y) \psi_1^*(x) \psi_2(x) \psi_2^*(y) {\rm d} x {\rm d} y$$ interpreting it as a trace of the product of projection operators. But this integral representation is basically never done, it's much easier to only compute the amplitude and square it when you're finished.

As a moral, you shouldn't insist on restricting your attention to some portion of position space. Quantum theory "doesn't like it" (except for few special constructions).

Removed the part about units
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Marek
  • 23.8k
  • 2
  • 80
  • 109

That's probably (no pun intended) because it's not a probability density at all. Wave functions by themselves don't have any physical interpretation. Only their squares do.

The probability of transition is computed like this $$P_{1 \to 2} = {\left \Vert \left < \psi_1 | \psi_2 \right > \right \Vert^2 \over \left \Vert \psi_1 \right \Vert^2 \left \Vert \psi_2 \right \Vert^2}$$

What you've written is just a density of the probability amplitude $\left<\psi_1|x\right>\left<x|\psi_2\right>$. It can be complex and it doesn't even have right units so it certainly cannot be probability in any sense.

That's probably (no pun intended) because it's not a probability density at all. Wave functions by themselves don't have any physical interpretation. Only their squares do.

The probability of transition is computed like this $$P_{1 \to 2} = {\left \Vert \left < \psi_1 | \psi_2 \right > \right \Vert^2 \over \left \Vert \psi_1 \right \Vert^2 \left \Vert \psi_2 \right \Vert^2}$$

What you've written is just a density of the probability amplitude $\left<\psi_1|x\right>\left<x|\psi_2\right>$. It can be complex and it doesn't even have right units so it certainly cannot be probability in any sense.

That's probably (no pun intended) because it's not a probability density at all. Wave functions by themselves don't have any physical interpretation. Only their squares do.

The probability of transition is computed like this $$P_{1 \to 2} = {\left \Vert \left < \psi_1 | \psi_2 \right > \right \Vert^2 \over \left \Vert \psi_1 \right \Vert^2 \left \Vert \psi_2 \right \Vert^2}$$

What you've written is just a density of the probability amplitude $\left<\psi_1|x\right>\left<x|\psi_2\right>$. It can be complex so it certainly cannot be probability in any sense.

Source Link
Marek
  • 23.8k
  • 2
  • 80
  • 109

That's probably (no pun intended) because it's not a probability density at all. Wave functions by themselves don't have any physical interpretation. Only their squares do.

The probability of transition is computed like this $$P_{1 \to 2} = {\left \Vert \left < \psi_1 | \psi_2 \right > \right \Vert^2 \over \left \Vert \psi_1 \right \Vert^2 \left \Vert \psi_2 \right \Vert^2}$$

What you've written is just a density of the probability amplitude $\left<\psi_1|x\right>\left<x|\psi_2\right>$. It can be complex and it doesn't even have right units so it certainly cannot be probability in any sense.