Calculation of a Deuterium Double Shock Hugoniot from Ab initio Simulations

Abstract

We calculate the equation of state of dense deuterium with two ab initio simulations techniques, path integral Monte Carlo and density functional theory molecular dynamics, in the density range of 0.67 < rho < 1.60 g/cc. We derive the double shock Hugoniot and compare with the recent laser-driven double shock wave experiments by Mostovych et al. [1]. We find excellent agreement between the two types of microscopic simulations but a significant discrepancy with the laser-driven shock measurements.

accept for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett., Nov. 2001, 4 pages, 4 figures