International
Tables for
Crystallography
Volume C
Mathematical, physical and chemical tables
Edited by E. Prince

© International Union of Crystallography 2006
International Tables for Crystallography (2006). Vol. C. ch. 1.1, pp. 2-3

Section 1.1.1.1. Primitive crystallographic bases

E. Kocha

a Institut für Mineralogie, Petrologie und Kristallographie, Universität Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Strasse, D-35032 Marburg, Germany

1.1.1.1. Primitive crystallographic bases

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The vectors a, b, c form a primitive crystallographic basis of the vector lattice L, if each translation vector [{\bf t}\in {\bf L}] may be expressed as [{\bf t}=u{\bf a}+v{\bf b}+w{\bf c}]with u, v, w being integers.

A primitive basis defines a primitive unit cell for a corresponding point lattice. Its volume V may be calculated as the mixed product (triple scalar product) of the three basis vectors: [\eqalignno{V&=({\bf abc})={\bf a}\times{\bf b}\cdot{\bf c}\cr &=\left[\left|\matrix{a^2&ab\cos\gamma&ac\cos\beta\cr ab\cos\gamma&b^2&bc\cos\alpha\cr ac\cos\beta&bc\cos\alpha&c^2\cr}\right|\right]^{1/2}\cr &=abc[1-\cos^2\alpha-\cos^2\beta-\cos^2\gamma\cr &\quad+2\cos\alpha\cos\beta\cos\gamma]^{1/2}\cr &=2abc\bigg[\sin{\alpha+\beta+\gamma\over2}\sin{-\alpha+\beta+\gamma\over2}\cr &\quad\times\sin{\alpha-\beta+\gamma\over2}\sin{\alpha+\beta-\gamma\over2}\bigg]^{1/2}. &(1.1.1.1)}]Here a, b and c designate the lengths of the three basis vectors and [\alpha={\bf b}\wedge{\bf c}], [\beta={\bf c}\wedge{\bf a}] and [\gamma={\bf a}\wedge{\bf b}] the angles between them.

Each vector lattice L and each primitive crystallographic basis a, b, c is uniquely related to a reciprocal vector lattice [{\bf L}^*] and a primitive reciprocal basis a*, b*, c*:[\matrix{&\left.\eqalign{{\bf a}^*&={{\bf b}\times{\bf c}\over V}\quad{\rm or\quad}{\bf a}^*\cdot{\bf b}={\bf a}^*\cdot{\bf c}=0,\quad{\bf a}^*\cdot{\bf a}=1\semi\cr {\bf b}^*&={{\bf c}\times{\bf a}\over V}\quad{\rm or\quad}{\bf b}^*\cdot{\bf a}={\bf b}^*\cdot{\bf c}=0,\quad{\bf b}^*\cdot{\bf b}=1\semi\cr {\bf c}^*&={{\bf a}\times{\bf b}\over V}\quad{\rm or\quad}{\bf c}^*\cdot{\bf a}={\bf c}^*\cdot{\bf b}=0,\quad{\bf c}^*\cdot{\bf c}\,=1.}\right\}\quad (1.1.1.2)\cr\cr &{\bf L}^*=\{{\bf r}^*|{\bf r}^*=h{\bf a}^*+k{\bf b}^*+l{\bf c}^*\ {\rm and}\ h,k,l\ {\rm integers}\}.\hfill}]The lengths [a^*], [b^*] and [c^*] of the reciprocal basis vectors and the angles [\alpha^*={\bf b}^*\wedge{\bf c}^*], [\beta^*={\bf c}^*\wedge{\bf a}^*] and [\gamma^*={\bf a}^*\wedge{\bf b}^*] are given by: [\left.\matrix{a^*=\displaystyle{bc\sin\alpha\over V},\quad b^*={ac\sin\beta\over V},\quad c^*={ab\sin\gamma\over V},\cr\noalign{\vskip5.5pt} \cos\alpha^*=\displaystyle{\cos\beta\cos\gamma-\cos\alpha\over\sin\beta\sin\gamma},\cr \noalign{\vskip5.5pt}\cos\beta^*=\displaystyle{\cos\alpha\cos\gamma-\cos\beta\over\sin\alpha\sin\gamma},\cr\noalign{\vskip5.5pt} \cos\gamma^*=\displaystyle{\cos\alpha\cos\beta-\cos\gamma\over\sin\alpha\sin\beta}.}\right\}\eqno (1.1.1.3)]a*, b*, c* define a primitive unit cell in a corresponding reciprocal point lattice. Its volume V* may be expressed by analogy with V [equation (1.1.1.1)[link]]: [\eqalignno{V^*&=({\bf a}^*{\bf b}^*{\bf c}^*)={\bf a}^*\times{\bf b}^*\cdot{\bf c}^*\cr &=\left[\left|\matrix{a^{*2}&a^*b^*\cos\gamma^*&a^*c^*\cos\beta^*\cr a^*b^*\cos\gamma^*&b^{*2}&b^*c^*\cos\alpha^*\cr a^*c^*\cos\beta^*&b^*c^*\cos\alpha^*&c^{*2}}\right|\right]^{1/2}\cr &=a^*b^*c^*[1-\cos^2\alpha^*-\cos^2\beta^*-\cos^2\gamma^*\cr &\quad+2\cos\alpha^*\cos\beta^*\cos\gamma^*]^{1/2}\cr &=2a^*b^*c^*\left[\sin{\alpha^*+\beta^*+\gamma^*\over2}\sin{-\alpha^*+\beta^*+\gamma^*\over2}\right.\cr &\quad\times\left.\sin{\alpha^*-\beta^*+\gamma^*\over2}\sin{\alpha^*+\beta^*-\gamma^*\over2}\right]^{1/2}.& (1.1.1.4)}]

In addition, the following equation holds: [VV^*=1.\eqno (1.1.1.5)]As all relations between direct and reciprocal lattices are symmetrical, one can calculate a, b, c from a*, b*, c*: [{\bf a}={{\bf b}^*\times{\bf c}^*\over V^*},\quad {\bf b}={{\bf c}^*\times{\bf a}^*\over V^*},\quad {\bf c}={{\bf a}^*\times{\bf b}^*\over V^*},\eqno (1.1.1.6)] [\left.\matrix{a=\displaystyle{b^*c^*\sin\alpha^*\over V^*},\cr\noalign{\vskip5.5pt} b=\displaystyle{a^*c^*\sin\beta^*\over V^*},\cr\noalign{\vskip5.5pt} c=\displaystyle{a^*b^*\sin\gamma^*\over V^*},\cr\noalign{\vskip5.5pt} \cos\alpha=\displaystyle{\cos\beta^*\cos\gamma^*-\cos\alpha^*\over\sin\beta^*\sin \gamma^*},\cr\noalign{\vskip5.5pt}\cos\beta=\displaystyle{\cos\alpha^*\cos\gamma^*-\cos\beta^*\over \sin\alpha^*\sin\gamma^*},\cr \noalign{\vskip5.5pt}\cos\gamma=\displaystyle{\cos\alpha^*\cos\beta^*-\cos\gamma^*\over \sin\alpha^*\sin\beta^*}.}\right\}\eqno (1.1.1.7)]The unit-cell volumes V and V* may also be obtained from: [\eqalignno{V&=abc\sin\alpha^*\sin\beta\sin\gamma\cr &=abc\sin\alpha\sin\beta^*\sin\gamma\cr &=abc\sin\alpha\sin\beta\sin\gamma^*,& (1.1.1.8)}][\eqalignno{V^*&=a^*b^*c^*\sin\alpha\sin\beta^*\sin\gamma^*\cr &=a^*b^*c^*\sin\alpha^*\sin\beta\sin\gamma^*\cr &=a^*b^*c^*\sin\alpha^*\sin\beta^*\sin\gamma.& (1.1.1.9)}]








































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