Calculation of nuclear spin-lattice relaxation in the α phase of solid nitrogen

Using an RPA description of the librational motion in α-N2 the quadrupolar relaxation of the N14 nucleus by the “anharmonic Raman process” has been calculated. The calculated temperature dependence of T1 is in satisfactory agreement with the measurements of DeReggi, Canepa and Scott between 20 and 35 K. Below 15 K, the calculated T1 becomes too long, possibly due to the theory's neglect of mixing between the librons and acoustic phonons.