Structure and short range order of liquid gallium

Abstract

The structure of liquid gallium in a wide temperature range has been studied. Analysis of data obtained by diffraction method allowed us to make some conclusions about the structural features of the liquid gallium. In particular there is a clear asymmetry of the first maximum of the structure factor (SF) and existence of shoulder on its right hand side. Also the temperature dependence of structural factors for liquid gallium in terms of its heterogeneous structure was analyzed. Interpretation was carried out under the assumption that the structure of liquid gallium consists of clusters with different distribution of atoms, as well as different types of chemical bonds between atoms. The structural units are sensitive to temperature. Splitting of the structure factor main maximum on the Gaussian partial curves, which corresponded to certain structural units of the melt, was also performed. Each structural component of the melt reveals a different nature of the temperature dependence. It is also assumed that the partial peaks for each cluster are described by Gaussian functions.