Theory of Sound Attenuation in Glasses: The Role of Thermal Vibrations

Jaroslav Fabian; Philip B. Allen

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.1478

Theory of Sound Attenuation in Glasses: The Role of Thermal Vibrations

Jaroslav Fabian and Philip B. Allen

Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 1478 – Published 15 February 1999

Abstract

Sound attenuation and internal friction coefficients are calculated for a realistic model of amorphous silicon. It is found that, contrary to previous views, thermal vibrations can induce sound attenuation at ultrasonic and hypersonic frequencies that is of the same order or even larger than in crystals. The reason is the internal strain induced anomalously large Grüneisen parameters of the low-frequency resonant modes.

Received 13 October 1998

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.1478

Authors & Affiliations

Jaroslav Fabian^1,2 and Philip B. Allen²

¹Department of Physics, University of Maryland at College Park, College Park, Maryland 20742-4111
²Department of Physics and Astronomy, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11794-3800