Elastic behaviour near polymorphic transitions: Silver iodide

Longitudinal and transverse wave velocities have been determined as functions of pressure in polycrystalline silver iodide using the pulse transmission method. The velocities decrease with increasing pressure in the low pressure phase and increase with increasing pressure in the NaCl structure phase which is stable above 4 kbar at room temperature. The calculated value of the pressure derivative of the incompressibility of the low pressure phase is exceptionally low, sufficiently so to be inconsistent with some lattice dynamics formulations. The unusual properties of the low pressure phase may be due to the effect of Frenkel defects on elastic wave propagation.