Orientational ordering in monolayers of ortho-para hydrogen

We discuss orientational ordering in monolayers of solid hydrogen in view of recent experimental findings in NMR studies of (ortho)(c)-(para)(1-c)-hydrogen mixtures on a boron nitride substrate. Analysis of the temperature-concentration behavior for the observed NMR frequency splitting is given on the basis of a two-dimensional (J=1)(c)-(J=0)(1-c)-rotor model with the quadrupolar coupling constant Gamma(0)=(0.50+/-0.03) K and the crystalline field amplitude V-0=(0.70+/-0.10) K derived from experiment. The two distinct pararotational short-range ordered structures are described in terms of the local alignment and orientation of the polar principal axis and are shown to be due to the interplay between the positive and negative crystalline fields. It is shown that the local structures observed below the 2D site-percolation threshold c(p)=0.72 are rather different from the ferromagnetic-type para-rotational ordering suggested earlier by Harris and Berlinsky. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.