On the stability of crystal lattices

Abstract

It has been shown by M. Born (1) that the equation of state and other thermo-dynamical properties of crystals, for example the melting temperature and its dependence on pressure, can be derived by a logical development of the lattice theory of crystals. I was able to show in a recent paper (6) that the results of a very large number of experiments of various kinds on the mechanical and thermal behaviour of solids are in satisfactory agreement with this theory. In the present paper I wish to show that new experiments of Bridgman (7) on the compression of solids under very high pressure can also be used for a comparison with the same theory, and that the results of this investigation are in favour of the theory. Some considerations on the range of stability of a lattice under a high uniform negative pressure are added, which support the idea that there is a close relation between the theory of stability of crystal lattices and the theory of melting.