Site preference of cation vacancy and the effect of cation deficiency
on the structure parameters have been investigated for synthetic magne
tite specimens by means of the single-crystal X-ray diffraction method
s. The cation vacancies are selectively formed at the octahedral catio
n sites even in the specimen quenched from 1793 K. The effects of cati
on deficiency are found as increase of atomic mean square displacement
s and decrease of anisotropy in thermal motions of the octahedral site
cations.