High-Pressure Physics

High-pressure science has undergone a revolution in the last 15 years. The development of intense new x-ray and neutron sources, improved detectors, new instrumentation, greatly increased computation power, and advanced computational algorithms have enabled researchers to determine the behavior of matter at static pressures in excess of 400 GPa. Shock-wave techniques have allowed access to the experimental pressure-temperature range beyond 1 TPa and 10,000 K.

High-Pressure Physics introduces the current state of the art in this field. Based on lectures presented by leading researchers at the 63rd Scottish Universities Summer School in Physics, the book summarizes the latest experimental and theoretical techniques. Highlighting applications in a range of physics disciplines—from novel materials synthesis to planetary interiors—this book cuts across many areas and supplies a solid grounding in high-pressure physics.

Chapters cover a wide array of topics and techniques, including:

• High-pressure devices
• The design of pressure cells
• Electrical transport experiments
• The fabrication process for customizing diamond anvils
• Equations of state (EOS) for solids in a range of pressures and temperatures
• Crystallography, optical spectroscopy, and inelastic x-ray scattering (IXS) techniques
• Magnetism in solids
• The internal structure of Earth and other planets
• Measurement and control of temperature in high-pressure experiments
• Solid state chemistry and materials research at high pressure
• Liquids and glasses
• The study of hydrogen at high density

A resource for graduate students and young researchers, this accessible reference provides an overview of key research areas and applications in high-pressure physics.