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Title: Evidence of a first-order phase transition to metallic hydrogen

Abstract

The insulator-metal transition in hydrogen is one of the most outstanding problems in condensed-matter physics. The high-pressure metallic phase is now predicted to be liquid atomic from the low-temperature limit with the system in the ground state to very high temperatures. We have conducted measurements of optical properties of hot dense hydrogen in the region of 1.1–1.7 Mbars and up to 2200 K. We present evidence supportive of a first-order phase transition accompanied by changes in transmittance and reflectance, characteristic of a metal. The phase line of this transition has a negative slope in agreement with theories of the so-called plasma phase transition.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States); Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Programs (DP)
OSTI Identifier:
1439436
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1247828; OSTI ID: 1798847
Grant/Contract Number:  
NA0001990; NA0001982; NA0003346
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physical Review. B
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 93; Journal Issue: 15; Journal ID: ISSN 2469-9950
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
08 HYDROGEN; hydrogen; pressure; phase transition

Citation Formats

Zaghoo, Mohamed, Salamat, Ashkan, and Silvera, Isaac F. Evidence of a first-order phase transition to metallic hydrogen. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.93.155128.
Zaghoo, Mohamed, Salamat, Ashkan, & Silvera, Isaac F. Evidence of a first-order phase transition to metallic hydrogen. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.93.155128
Zaghoo, Mohamed, Salamat, Ashkan, and Silvera, Isaac F. Fri . "Evidence of a first-order phase transition to metallic hydrogen". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.93.155128. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1439436.
@article{osti_1439436,
title = {Evidence of a first-order phase transition to metallic hydrogen},
author = {Zaghoo, Mohamed and Salamat, Ashkan and Silvera, Isaac F.},
abstractNote = {The insulator-metal transition in hydrogen is one of the most outstanding problems in condensed-matter physics. The high-pressure metallic phase is now predicted to be liquid atomic from the low-temperature limit with the system in the ground state to very high temperatures. We have conducted measurements of optical properties of hot dense hydrogen in the region of 1.1–1.7 Mbars and up to 2200 K. We present evidence supportive of a first-order phase transition accompanied by changes in transmittance and reflectance, characteristic of a metal. The phase line of this transition has a negative slope in agreement with theories of the so-called plasma phase transition.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevB.93.155128},
journal = {Physical Review. B},
number = 15,
volume = 93,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Apr 15 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Fri Apr 15 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}

Journal Article:

Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 102 works
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Figures / Tables:

Fig. 1 Fig. 1: Phase diagram showing several theoretical predictions of the plasma phase transition, as well as established phases in the solid at lower temperatures, and the theoretical melting line with confirming experimental data. Our pressure/temperature plateau data points (solid black triangles) delineate a phase boundary and optical measurements confirm themore » metallic nature of this transition. Circles at the low pressure end of the theoretical phase lines are critical points. The calculated temperatures for Fortov et al’s pressures for deuterium are connected by dashed lines. A possible isochoric thermodynamic path is shown. The random uncertainty for plateau temperatures is ±25 K and falls within the size of the symbols; however there may be systematic uncertainties (see text).« less

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Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.