Abstract: Orientational disorder in some molecular solids is discussed in relation to the emphasis placed on transverse vibrational modes in glasses as the origin of the observed boson peak in two very recent contributions in Nature Materials. In particular, facts are here presented for (i) CH4, (ii) C60 and (iii) ethanol in their solid phases for (a) specific heat and (b) neutron scattering. The results for ethanol in particular do not fit in with the interpretation of the boson peak in terms of transverse acoustic phonons in disordered systems. Glasses will therefore have to be separated into at least two classes where the physical interpretation of the boson peak is concerned.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 1.772
Times cited: 3
DOI: 10.1016/j.physleta.2009.01.003