Electromagnetic radiation and variations in the conductivity of muscovite specimens during dehydration

The authors give experimental results on the measurement of electromagnetic radiation and electrical conductivity of muscovite specimens during heating or cooling in the temperature range from 20 to 600°C. It was established that at some temperatures there were variations in the electrical conductivity with the attendant onset of pulsed electromagnetic radiation in the radio-frequency range from 247.5 kHz to 35.8 MHz. The oscillations in the conductivity and the maximum intensity of electromagnetic radiation coincide with the boiling points of weakly bound water at about 100°C, the electrical activity of centers on the surface of micas (20–450°C), the temperatures of crystallization of muscovite in a hydrothermal process from 480 to 160°C, and phase transitions at 550–590°C. The electromagnetic radiation is probably due to fluctuations in the defects in the mineral under thermal excitation and adhesion processes as a result of dehydration of the muscovite.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 1, pp. 27–33.