CHANGES IN THE SHORT-RANGE ORDER OF GALLIUM ON MELTING AND SUPERCOOLING

Neutron diffraction has been used to study the diffuse scattering of g allium as it was heated from solid to liquid through the melting point , and then cooled from liquid to supercooled liquid. Little evidence w as found of a pre-melting effect. A difference was observed in the rat e of change of the diffuse scattering between the liquid and supercool ed states from a slightly impure sample, but a high-purity sample show ed little change in structure between +33 and -13.1 degrees C. Reverse Monte Carlo analysis has been applied to the supercooled liquid, conf irming that its structure is very like that of the beta-phase.