On Electrostriction and Kerr Effect in Nonpolar Symmetric Molecules such as Carbon Tetrachloride

Abstract

Kerr effect in CCl₄ is explained based upon electrostriction with the model of ellipsoid cavity, which is deformed from the spherical cavity in ordinary Lorentz field. The deformation is determined by the condition of energy equilibrium considering the change of dipole interaction and Lennard-Jones potential in the ellipsoid cavity.
The discussion is also made about the induced anisotropy of the electronic polarizability taking account of the experimental value of Kerr constant.