Decoupled networks: An approach to low symmetry vibrational problems

By considering the condition for lowest order decoupling of the vibrations of local atomic configurations of continuous bonded covalent systems, we arrive at an approximation which we call a decoupled network (DCN). The DCN them serves as a basis for a method of relating vibrational and configurational data in low symmetry systems. This method applied to amorphous, crystalline and molten As₂S₃ yields significant insight into the relationship between the features of the vibrational spectra and the local order.