Triple Point Temperature of Neon Isotopes: Dependence on Nitrogen Impurity and Sealed-Cell Model

This paper illustrates a study conducted at INRIM, to further check how some quantities influence the value of the triple point temperature of the neon high-purity isotopes 20Ne and 22Ne. The influence of nitrogen as a chemical impurity in neon is critical with regard to the present best total uncertainty achieved in the measurement of these triple points, but only one determination is available in the literature. Checks are reported, performed on two different samples of 22Ne known to contain a N2 amount of 157·10^–6, using two different models of sealed cells. The model of the cell can, in principle, have some effects on the shape of the melting plateau or on the triple point temperature observed for the sample sealed in it. This can be due to cell thermal parameters, or because the INRIM cell element mod. c contains many copper wires closely packed, which can, in principle, constrain the interface and induce a premelting-like effect. The reported results on a cell mod. Bter show no evident effect from the cell model and provide a value for the effect of N2 in Ne liquidus point of 8.6(1.9) microK ppm N2^ –1, only slightly different from the literature datum.