The effect of temperature change on LiF, ADP, and EDDT analyzing crystals was studied by measuring the change In intensity of a selected X-ray spectral line while maintaining a constant 2θ position on the spectrometer. A change in interplanar spacing due to thermal expansion and contraction satisfactorily account for experimentally observed line shifts for LiF and ADP. EDDT showed a large unexplained decrease in reflectivity with increasing ambient temperature.

An equation was developed to express the change in intensity at a constant 2θ position as an exponential function of temperature. In this equation the thermal expansion coefficients of the principal axes of the crystal, the width of the spectral line at half-height, and the Bragg angle appear as factors. Intensity changes due to peak shift were tabulated for LiF, ADP, NaCl, silicon, germanium, quartz, calcite, fiuorite, and topaz.