On the lifetime of metastable metallic hydrogen
Abstract
The molecular phase of hydrogen converts to the atomic metallic phase at high pressures estimated usually as 300-500 GPa. We analyze the zero-temperature decay of metallic phase as the pressure is relieved below the transition one. The metallic state is expected to be in the metastable long-lived state down to about 10-20 GPa and decays instantly at the lower pressures. The pressure range of the long-lived metastable state is directly associated with an impossibility to produce a stable hydrogen molecule immersed into the electron liquid of high density. For lower pressures, the nucleation of an electron-free cavity with the energetically favorable hydrogen molecule inside cannot be suppressed with the low ambient pressure.
- Publication:
-
Low Temperature Physics
- Pub Date:
- October 2017
- DOI:
- 10.1063/1.5008406
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1611.02593
- Bibcode:
- 2017LTP....43.1152B
- Keywords:
-
- Condensed Matter - Other Condensed Matter;
- Condensed Matter - Materials Science
- E-Print:
- 12 pages, 12 figures