The influence of intermolecular interactions on the Kerr effect in gases: I. Statistical theory for spherical top molecules

Expressions are derived for the second and third Kerr virial coefficients, B K and C K , of spherical top molecules in terms of irreducible cluster polarizabilities, and values are calculated using the dipole-induced dipole model for argon, krypton, xenon, methane, tetrafluoromethane, neopentane and sulphur hexafluoride. For mixtures of rare gases it is shown that the collision-induced dipole moment makes a negligible contribution to B K . The effect of the choice of intermolecular potential function on the calculated second Kerr virial coefficients is also demonstrated. It is found that the predominant contributions to C K arise from the pair polarizability, and that the triplet polarizability is only of minor importance.