See humidity.
In clay science, absorption occurs where the sorbate enters internal layers, voids, or pore spaces within the sorbent (usually, clay material). Other scientific fields, often do not specify a mechanism.
absorption edge (X-ray) The -“edge” concept (as in an “absorption edge”) is often used wherever there is a sharp drop (or increase) in a characteristic of a graph. For example, graphs of X-ray absorption vs energy (or wavelength) show a sharp decrease in absorption for foils of specific metals at distinct X-ray wavelengths, and these wavelengths mark the metal’s absorption edges. Metal foils have been used to reduce or remove extraneous X-ray wavelengths in (early) X-ray experiments; more modern experiments use a monochromator crystal. Because these absorption edges are characteristic for the metal, they may be used to identify the local atomic structure of the metal in a phase in spectroscopic studies, such as XANES (X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure) or EXAFS (Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure).
A mineral present in a rock which is not essential for the classification of that rock. Characterizing accessory minerals are often used as modifiers to the rock name, for example, as in nepheline basalt.
A poorly defined material, possibly sodium mica.
A crystal habit composed of radiating masses of slender needle-like crystalline phases.