Relaxation time constant, electric double

Reorientations produce characteristic maxima in the relaxation rate, which may be different for the various symmetry species of CD4. The measured relaxation rates exhibit dependence on two time constants at low temperatures, but also double maxima for both relaxation rates. We assume that molecules may move over some places (adsorption sites) on the cage walls and experience different local potentials. Under the assumption of large tunnelling splittings the T and (A+E) sub-systems relax at different rates. In the first step of calculation the effect of exchange between the different places was considered. Comparison with experimental data led to the conclusion that we have to include also a new relaxation process, namely the contribution from an external electric field gradient. It is finally quite understandable to expect that such effect appears when CD4 moves in the vicinity of a Na+ ion. 

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