Influence of Pressure on the Dielectric Properties of Ice

Abstract

EXPERIMENTS have recently been performed in which the effects of pressure on the electrical properties of ice were studied. The stress applied was compression between two plates which formed the measuring capacitor. Samples measured included a polycrystalline specimen having coarse- and fine- grained structure and single crystals cut parallel to, perpendicular to, and at 45° to the c-axis. The stress was a static compression of about 2 kgm./cm.² applied at the start of each measurement. The sample holder was connected to a G.R. 816-C radiofrequency bridge which was balanced at 1 kc. before the load was applied. An oscilloscope was used as an indicator. The sample was then loaded and the oscilloscope deflexion was observed as a function of the time. The bridge was rebalanced at the end of each run. Since the balance is extremely sensitive to temperature fluctuations, special precautions had to be taken.