The application of Brillouin scattering to the measurement of the elastic properties of solids has resulted in some new and useful data on the single-crystal elastic moduli of several geophysically important minerals, heretofore unmeasured. The main advantage of Brillouin scattering over conventional acoustic techniques is the ability to employ specimens of much smaller size (as small as 30 microns) and of lower symmetry. This study, and other similar ones, will allow us to predict more precisely the elastic properties of minerals of known structure with greater confidence. Funding at the revised level is recommended.
