Microscopic model for the neutron dynamic structure factor of solid methane in phase II

We have constructed a microscopic model for the neutron dynamic structure factor S ( Q , ω ) of solid methane in phase II. We expect this model to apply for neutron energies below 1 eV at pressures near 1 bar and temperatures below 20 K where methane possesses both free rotation and hindered rotation modes of the tetrahedral molecules in the unit cell. The model treats the motions of molecular translations, intra-molecular vibrations and the free and hindered rotations of methane molecule as independent. Total scattering cross-sections calculated from the model agree with the cross-section measurements for incident neutron energies of 0.5 meV–1 eV. The effective density of states is extracted from the model. We also present the quantitative calculation of the separate contributions of the two different rotational modes to the inelastic cross-section for different methane temperatures in phase II.