Publication
Title
Finite-element simulation of the liquid-liquid transition to metallic hydrogen
Author
Abstract
Hydrogen at high temperature and pressure undergoes a phase transition from a liquid molecular phase to a conductive atomic state, or liquid metallic hydrogen, sometimes referred to as the plasma phase transition (PPT). The PPT phase line was observed in a recent experiment studying laser-pulse heated hydrogen in a diamond anvil cell in the pressure range ∼100−170 GPa for temperatures up to ∼2000K. The experimental signatures of the transition are (i) a negative pressure-temperature slope, (ii) a plateau in the heating curve, assumed to be related to the latent heat of transformation, and (iii) an abrupt increase in the reflectance of the sample. We present a finite-element simulation that accurately takes into account the position and time dependence of the heat deposited by the laser pulse. We calculate the heating curves and the sample reflectance and transmittance. This simulation confirms that the observed plateaus are related to the phase transition; however, we find that large values of latent heat are needed and may indicate that dynamics at the transition are more complex than considered in current models. Finally, experiments are proposed that can distinguish between a change in optical properties due to a transition to a metallic state or due to closure of the band gap in molecular hydrogen.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Physical review B / American Physical Society. - New York, N.Y, 2016, currens
Publication
New York, N.Y : American Physical Society , 2019
ISSN
2469-9969 [online]
2469-9950 [print]
DOI
10.1103/PHYSREVB.100.134106
Volume/pages
100 :13 (2019) , 10 p.
Article Reference
134106
ISI
000491989400001
Medium
E-only publicatie
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 03.12.2019
Last edited 02.10.2024
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