Order-disorder reorientations and metastability inα−CO

Nuclear quadrupole resonance linewidths in ${}_{}{}^{17}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{O}$-enriched carbon monoxide in the $\alpha$ phase are used to derive the order-disorder reorientational frequencies ${\omega }_R$ of the CO dipoles. The data are in remarkable agreement with recent results from dielectric dispersion measurements and extend the evaluation of ${\omega }_R$ to almost seven decades. In view of the small values for ${\omega }_R$ near the order-disorder transition, a metastable state is expected to occur on cooling.