Electrical resistivity of fluid methane multiply shock compressed to 147 GPa

ABSTRACT

Shock wave experiments were carried out to measure the electrical resistivity of fluid methane. The pressure range of 89–147 GPa and the temperature range from 1800 to 2600 K were achieved with a two-stage light-gas gun. We obtained a minimum electrical resistivity value of 4.5 × 10⁻² Ω cm at pressure and temperature of 147 GPa and 2600 K, which is two orders of magnitude higher than that of hydrogen under similar conditions. The data are interpreted in terms of a continuous transition from insulator to semiconductor state. One possibility reason is chemical decomposition of methane in the shock compression process. Along density and temperature increase with Hugoniot pressure, dissociation of fluid methane increases continuously to form a H₂-rich fluid.

KEYWORDS:

• Fluid methane
• shock-compressed
• electrical resistivity
• insulator–semiconductor

Acknowledgements

Many people have offered me valuable help in my thesis writing, including my tutor, my classmates. In particular, I would like to express Xi Feng for his support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11574254 and 11272296), the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2011CB808201), the Fundamental Research Fund for the Central Universities, China (Grant No. 2682014ZT31). Scientific Research Plan Projects of Shannxi Education Department (Grant No: 16JK1361).