Ethan Merritt <[email protected]> writes: > On Thursday, June 14, 2012 12:06:13 pm James Stroud wrote: >> Hello All, >> >> I would like to discuss symmetry axes, but I'm not sure what the >> notation convention is. For example, I'd like to say something about >> a 2(1) along the x-axis, but the phrase "the 2(1) symmetry axis >> along x" is a bit cumbersome to repeat many times or to put in a >> table. So I'd like a shorthand, maybe something like "x(2_1)" (where >> the preceding "_" means that the "1" is subscript. Another way I >> like is "x_{2(1)}" (where the curly braces mean that all of "2(1)" >> is subscript). >> >> Does anyone know what the convention is or if there is one? > > One would think that this document would have the answer: > > > http://www.iucr.org/resources/commissions/crystallographic-nomenclature/symel > > But it's too cryptic for me. > > I'd go with the full expression in the text. > For table entries, I'd want something shorter. > International Tables for Crystallography, Vol A defines the glyph used to > indicate > 2_1 screws in the space group diagrams (a solid oval with two flagella). > But finding a font to print it in your table could be challenging. > There is a cryst.mf font for TeX if that helps. > <http://www.tex.ac.uk/CTAN/fonts/cryst/>
This font (by Ulrich Müller) is available in many formats on the IUCr web site: http://www.iucr.org/resources/symmetry-font > > I can't find these symbols in the Unicode character tables. > Perhaps the IUCr should propose to have Unicode code points assigned for > the standard set of crystallographic symmetry elements. That has occurred to me too! As far as I know, no proposal has yet been made. -- Ian ◎
