The structural response of liquids under extreme conditions (high temperature and/or pressure) is important from technological, planetary science, and fundamental science perspectives. For example, understanding the structure and solidification pathways in liquid oxides and metals at extreme conditions can enable us to unravel the secrets of liquid-liquid phase transitions and glass formation, to develop new materials with novel physical properties, and to understand geophysical processes in deep planetary interiors (e.g. magma genesis, planetary differentiation, metallic core formation, magnetic field generation).

However, the disordered nature of liquids at the atomic-scale makes characterising their structure challenging. For liquid oxides and metals this is exacerbated by their high melting temperatures. Measurements at simultaneous high pressure and temperature conditions are doubly challenging, requiring specialised instrumentation to generate these extreme conditions, whilst simultaneously allowing good accessibility to the sample. 

In this talk, I will discuss developments in containerless levitation techniques at neutron and synchrotron x-ray facilities for in situ measurements of the structure of high temperature and supercooled liquids. I will also discuss recent advances in pressure cell technology for measuring the structure of liquids under high pressure and temperature conditions, as applied to planetary magmas and liquid metals, and interpreted with the aid of molecular dynamics simulations.

 

https://bristol-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/95982115892