Phonon Relaxation in Hydrated Crystals

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Abstract
It is shown that a porous layer on the surface of a crystal immersed in liquid helium can result in a surface which is essentially nonreflecting for phonons coming from the interior of the crystal. Such a porous layer may be formed by partial dehydration of the surface of the crystal. This result may explain the phonon relaxation time observed in lanthanum double nitrate by Jeffries, Scott, Benoit, and Ruby.