Historically, the theory of the heat capacity of a crystal lattice began with phonons in
Einstein‟ s theory [1] of characteristic vibrations in 1907 followed by Debye‟ s theory [2] of …

Phonon physics, the science of the properties of solids and liquids arising from collective
atomic vibrations, is perhaps the oldest branch of condensed matter physics. In 1983, four …

Abstract In Sect. 4.2 we saw how the 3rN equations of motion of a periodic solid can be
largely decoupled by means of the plane-wave ansatz and the assumption of harmonic …

Dulong and Petit in 1819 discovered the rule that the atomic thermal capacity of any solid is
6 cal/deg. This rule agrees well with experiment for suitable high temperatures, and classical …

Phonon physics, the science of the properties of solids and liquids arising from collec-tive
atomic vibrations, is perhaps the oldest branch of condensed matter physics. In 1893, four …

Introduction In the previous chapter, we examined the elastic nature of a crystal and
replaced the notion of atoms as independent harmonic oscillators with the concept of …

The enumeration of wave-patterns within an enclosure on a scale of wave-lengths or
frequencies presupposes that the waves are perfectly undamped and that the enclosure is …

Systematic studies of the low-temperature properties of insulating solids were not carried out
prior to the end of the 19th century. In the first experiments the specific heat was measured …

THE many remarkable properties which diamond exhibits, taken in conjunction with the
simplicity of its crystal structure and composition, make it a substance of quite exceptional …

Thermal vibrations of a solid are described in terms of lattice waves. How these waves
interact with other waves such as electromagnetic ones, or with themselves; and how one is …