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Propagation Of Ultrasound In Plastic Crystals, Carl E. Scheie

Physics & Astronomy ETDs

The study of the organic solid state, and in particular of plastic crystals, is a relatively new branch of physics (1,2). Timmermans first surmised the existence of these solids from the anomalous values of the entropies of fusion. The solids possess many of the characteristics of liquids. They are easily deformed by pressure and they show dielectric properties that can be described on the basis of rotation of the molecules in their lattice positions. Still they have a definite crystal structure. Thus, even though the molecules are not symmetric, they appear to be to some degree because of the rotation. …