Allowed infrared absorption in simple London crystals

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on the infrared absorption capabilities of simple London crystals and liquids, particularly examining the legal absorption of infrared photons by substances such as diamond, diprotium, and noble gases. Diamond exhibits no single phonon absorption due to its high symmetry, allowing only for two-phonon absorption at approximately 2000/cm. In contrast, diprotium lacks a dipole moment, making its fundamental vibration band at 4200/cm illegal for absorption in solid form, while interactions in dense gases and liquids can induce absorption. The conversation also explores the absorption characteristics of liquid noble gases and the implications of symmetry in various crystal structures.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of infrared spectroscopy and phonon interactions
  • Knowledge of crystal symmetry and its impact on absorption properties
  • Familiarity with London dispersion forces and their role in molecular bonding
  • Basic concepts of diatomic molecules and their vibrational modes
NEXT STEPS
  • Research "phonon branches in crystal structures" for deeper insights into optical and acoustical phonons
  • Study "collision-induced absorption in dense gases" to understand symmetry violations
  • Explore "infrared absorption in liquid noble gases" to determine their phonon absorption mechanisms
  • Investigate "vibrational modes of diatomic molecules" to analyze their absorption characteristics
USEFUL FOR

Researchers in physical chemistry, materials scientists, and physicists interested in the infrared absorption properties of simple molecular crystals and liquids.

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Which infrared photons can London force bound liquids and crystals of simple particles (atoms, and homonuclear diatomic molecules) legally absorb?

For comparison: diamond is bound by strong covalent bonds. The restoring forces permit vibrations about the C-C bonds at about 1000/cm.
But since a diamond has high cubic symmetry, the crystal has no transition dipole moment around a C-C bond, and single phonon absorption is illegal.
Interaction between two phonons breaks the symmetry around the C-C bond, and diamond does have a band for two-phonon absorption about 2000/cm (and another for three phonons). But those bands are much weaker than the bands for crystals that do possesses polar bonds with legal one phonon absorption.
Now, diprotium has a fundamental vibration band around H-H bond at about 4200/cm. But it has no dipole moment, so absorption is illegal.
In dense gas, interaction with other molecules or atoms breaks the symmetry around H-H bond, and does allow the collision/pressure induced absorption at 4200/cm. Logically, so would liquids.
But solid diprotium crystal again possesses symmetry around the H-H bond of individual molecules. Does this likewise make 4200/cm absorption illegal in solid diprotium?
Would the reasoning for H2 apply to other simple molecules - D2, N2, O2, F2?

About atoms: solid noble gases are bound by London forces, yet possesses simple symmetry. Can they legally absorb in multiphonon manners alone, like diamond but at much lower energies?

Liquid noble gases do not possesses "restoring force" - atoms displaced will not oscillate around crystal position. Yet they do support phonons of some sort. And "liquid"-s lack of long range order would avoid issues with symmetry around London "bond".
At which energies does liquid He absorb infrared photons to create phonons? What are the legitimate mechanisms - single or multiple phonon? And how absorptive, really, are liquid noble gases in infrared bands matching the bands of their London forces?
 
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Homoatomic diatomic gasses are in deed not IR active. As far as crystals of one atom type are concerned, you should look up terms like optical and acoustical phonon branches.
 
DrDu said:
Homoatomic diatomic gasses are in deed not IR active.

As isolated molecules/tenuous gases. Dense gases and liquids should have collision/pressure induced violation of symmetry.

Do simple symmetry crystals (cubic of dihydrogen and dinitrogen) forbid the collision induced absorptions that the liquids have?

Do low symmetry crystals of simple homoatomic diatomic molecules (ortorhombic of iodine, bromine, chlorine and dioxygen, monoclinic of fluorine and also oxygen) permit absorption to the molecule's stretching line?
 

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