X-ray diffraction as a function of temperature for Fo92-Fa8: implications for the hermean surface.

Abstract

It is well known that the surface of Mercury shows temperature variations extremely large at specific locations [1]. Such a range can cause strong crystal structure changes and, as a consequence, the detected spectral signature could be significantly affected. Here we investigated the low-high temperature behaviour of one of the olivine, which has been recently considered as a possible constituent of the Mercury surface [2]. Aim of the work is to determine which expansion the olivine undergoes within a temperature range typical of the Mercury surface in order to verify which could be the effect of thermal expansion on a spectra.