The Dynamically Compressed Metallic State: Theory.
Abstract
This research has combined two major themes: the statistical mechanics of classical systems under conditions typical of shock or explosive environments, and the quantum statistical mechanics of inhomogeneous electron systems embedded in these classical ensembles. The project began with an application of the thermodynamics and structure of the liquid state, but applied in the context of a dynamic solid. The method developed allowed us to reduce Hugoniot data to isotherms without the necessity of invoking any Gruneisen type of law. It was constructed explicitly for the case of insulating systems, but we were already able to see a possible modification for metals. A system that seemed to remain very much an insulator under severe dynamic loading was SiO2, whose band structure (in the fluorite phase) we calculated using the self-consistent augmented spherical wave method. Pressure as a general indicator of trends in electronic structure appears to be a tool of increasing value and versatility. When high pressures are generated by shock methods, there is usually an accompanying increase in temperature, often very substantial. For nuclear driven shocks these temperatures can become so high that an electron system is driven far from degeneracy.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 15, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADA169174
Entities
People
- N. W. Ashcroft
Organizations
- Cornell Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics