Thermal expansion and zero-point displacement in isotopic lithium hydride

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Abstract
The effect of substitution of one isotope for another in the lithium hydride crystal has been investigated by means of the localized-continuum model introduced in earlier publications in connection with calculations of elastic properties, thermal expansion, and melting phenomena. Theoretical analysis demonstrates that the observed lattice parameters can be accounted for within the experimental error and the accuracy of the Debye approximation by a combination of the effects of the zero-point displacement and thermal expansion. The contributions of both quantities vary for the different isotopic forms according to different values of the Debye temperature, which in turn varies approximately as the inverse square root of the cation-ion reduced mass. In addition, the analysis elucidates the nature of the quantized thermal oscillators in crystals.

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