Electronic density of states of high pressure liquid uranium from shock vaporization

Strong shock waves were used to compress and heat initially porous uranium plates to high pressures (approximately 106 atm) and temperatures high enough (some 104 K), that one should expect a dominant contribution of the electrons to the thermal state. Information about this contribution, which depends on the electronic density of states distribution D(E), is obtained by measuring the entropy in the shocked state on the basis of the shock vaporization technique. The results indicate that a considerable redistribution of the six valence electrons occurs when uranium is compressed and heated. (author)