Neutron inelastic scattering study of the molecular motions in solid silane

J. Vanderhaeghen, W. Wegener, S. Hautecler, L. Van Gerven

    Research outputpeer-review

    Abstract

    We have studied the molecular motions of SiH4 by the neutron scattering technique both in the plastic phase I above 63.45 K as well as in phase II. In the plastic phase the spectra are characterized by a very broad quasielastic component. From the Q-behaviour of the quasielastic and elastic intensities and from lineshape fits we have found that a model involving random 120°-reorientations around the threefold molecular axes is able to describe our results satisfactorily. We have derived the residence times and an activation energy of (1.05 ± 0.25) kJ mol-1. In phase II the spectra are characterized by a structure in the inelastic region. The peaks have to be assigned to periodic motions; we conclude that translational and librational modes are separated, with perhaps an overlap at {reversed tilde} 12 meV.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)163-172
    Number of pages10
    JournalPhysica B+C
    Volume95
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    StatePublished - 1978

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • General Engineering

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