Sodium loses its luster: A liquid metal that's not really metallic

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Unlike other solid metals sodium melts differently when additional pressure is added. Image: Kwei-Yu ChuLLNL
Unlike other solid metals, sodium melts differently when additional pressure is added. Image: Kwei-Yu Chu/LLNL

When melting sodium at high pressures, the material goes through a transition in which its electrical conductivity drops threefold. In a series of new calculations, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists describe the unusual melting behavior of dense sodium.


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