Phase transformations and the spectral reflectance of solid sulfur - Can metastable sulfur allotropes exist on Io

Journal Article · Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · Icarus (International Journal of the Solar System); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(91)90179-W· OSTI ID:5866755

Moses, J I; Nash, D B ^[1]

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1. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (USA) San Juan Capistrano Research Institute, CA (USA)

Laboratory investigations have been conducted on the effects of variations in sulfur sample histories on their solid-state transformation rate and the corresponding spectral variation of freshly frozen sulfur. The temporal variations in question may be due to differences in the amount and type of metastable allotropes present in the sulfur after solidification, as well as to the physics of the phase-transformation process itself. The results obtained are pertinent to the physical behavior and spectral variation of such freshly solidified sulfur as may exist on the Jupiter moon Io; this would initially solidify into a glassy solid or monoclinic crystalline lattice, then approach ambient dayside temperatures. Laboratory results imply that the monoclinic or polymeric allotropes can in these circumstances be maintained, and will take years to convert to the stable orthorhombic crystalline form. 114 refs.

• OSTI ID: 5866755
• Journal Information: Icarus (International Journal of the Solar System); (USA), Vol. 89; ISSN 0019-1035
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
JUPITER PLANET
SATELLITES
SULFUR
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
SPECTRAL REFLECTANCE
ALLOTROPY
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COOLING
IMPURITIES
METASTABLE STATES
PLUMES
SOLIDS
VOLCANOES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LEVELS
EXCITED STATES
NONMETALS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLANETS
640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena