The Electronic Structure of Liquid Lead

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Crystalline metals have been studied intensively over the past 40 years. Sophisticated theoretical models and experimental tools have resulted in a generally very good understanding of these materials. In contrast, the atomic and electronic structure of liquid metals is poorly understood. In a liquid metal, the atomic structure varies in both time and space, and the only information that can be obtained is averaged. The lack of periodicity makes it also very difficult to determine whether the electrons are bound to individual atoms or delocalized over the entire liquid, because the band structure (which determines the electronic properties) can no longer be measured.