Semiconductor–metal transitions in low‐Z and alkali fluids

Abstract

AbstractExperiments are described which observed semiconductor‐metal Mott transitions in fluid H, N, O, Rb, and Cs at ∼2000 K. The pressures required to observe this transition in low‐Z and in alkali fluids differ by a factor of 104. This difference in pressure is caused by differences in radial extents of charge density distributions of the respective atoms. Dynamic pressures and temperatures can now be tuned to probe states not accessible previously to scientific investigation. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)