Theory of distribution of dielectric relaxation times in dipolar crystals

The dielectric relaxation times associated with a single-axis polar rotator which may occupy several sites as it turns about its axis were calculated in terms of the probabilities of transition from one site to another. Two special cases were considered in detail; (a) that in which all of the sites are equivalent, and (b) that in which one site was stable with respect to the others. It was assumed that the only important elementary process was a rotational jump to an adjacent site (single-jump hypothesis). Fluctuations of barrier height were ignored.