I129nuclear quadrupole interaction in trigonal Te and the role of oxygen contamination

${}_{}{}^{129}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{I}$ Mössbauer spectra of trigonal Te are shown to be sensitive to the presence of oxygen contamination of the starting enriched ${}_{}{}^{128}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Te}$ metal used in these measurements. The oxygen is shown to be chemically bonded as a ${\mathrm{TeO}}_2$ phase. Results on pure Te taken with a thin ${}_{}{}^{129}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{INa}$ absorber (15 mg/${\mathrm{cm}}^2$) yield, at 4.2 K, $e^{2}qQ=-397.4\mathrm{}\left(1.7\right)\mathrm{}$ MHz, $\eta =0.70\mathrm{}\left(1\right)\mathrm{}$, $\delta =+1.16\mathrm{}\left(1\right)\mathrm{}$ mm/s, and ${\Gamma }_{\mathrm{obs}}=1.13\mathrm{}\left(1\right)\mathrm{}$ mm/s.