The vibrational spectrum of zircon (zrsio₄)

This paper reports polarized infrared and raman studies on zircon, zrsio₄. The 36 k=0 modes of vibration are classified using group theoretical methods. The dielectric parameters epsilon minutes and epsilonseconds have been derived from the reflection spectrum using kramers-kronig theory. Measurements have also been made on the elements of the raman polarizability tensor, and the angular dependence of the scattered intensity has been studied for several bands. The crystal field splittings of the vibrational levels of the silicate ions are large, but some simple force constant considerations lead to the conclusion that the silicate ions are essentially molecular units.