Physics of the Lindemann melting rule

Abstract

We investigate the thermodynamics of melting for 74 distinct chemical elements including several actinides and rare earths. We find that the observed melting points are consistent with a linear relationship between the correlation entropy of the liquid and the Grüneisen constant of the solid, and that the Lindemann rule is well obeyed for the elements with simple structures and less well obeyed for the less symmetric more open structures. No special assumptions are required to explain the melting points of the rare earths or light actinides.

Keywords:

• melting
• melting point
• fusion
• correlation entropy
• liquid state
• thermodynamics
• Lindemann rule

Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Gerry Lander for a careful reading of the manuscript and Dr. Jason Lashley for help with one of the references. This work was supported in part by the Los Alamos National Laboratory under the auspices of the US Department of Energy.