Rayleigh Scattering in a Plastic Crystal Due to Orientational Relaxation

The Rayleigh line scattered by succinonitrile is studied by means of a Fabry-Pérot interferometer having a resolving power of 5 × ${10}^5$. The line is found to be Lorentzian with a 5.4-GHz width and a depolarization ratio 0.77. The experimental data are in good agreement with the orientational relaxation theory in liquids.