Shock melting and Hugoniot calculations for gold

Abstract

Shock Hugoniot calculations are carried out for gold using both solid and liquid state theories. The result suggests that shock melting begins to take place at a pressure of 1.2 Mbar. At about 2.1 Mbar, the melting transition is complete. The shock temperature of gold in the liquid phase is substantially lower than that in the corresponding solid phase. The validity of the calculations is tested using equilibrium volume and bulk modulus data, deduced from diamond anvil cell experiments, Hugoniot data and the most recently reported shock temperature data at ~6 Mbar.