Theory of the Damping of Alfvén Waves in Bismuth Metal

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Abstract
The theory of the relaxation frequency tensor for an ellipsoidal conduction band is developed, and calculated for the case of the electron and hole bands in bismuth assuming ionized impurity scattering. The theory of Alfvén-wave propagation is developed, and the ratios of relaxation times for several different field orientations are calculated. The results are compared with McLachlan's data. Possible mechanisms for the damping, including Frenkel defects, are discussed.