CRITICAL PHENOMENA AND THE METAL-NONMETAL TRANSITION IN LIQUID-METALS

Experimental results for fluid metals near the liquid-vapour critical point show that profound changes in the electronic structure of fluid metals occur in that region. A gradual transition from metallic to non-metallic behaviour occurs with decreasing density, which manifests itself in a corresponding strong thermodynamic state dependence of the interparticle interaction. The existence of this transition noticeably influences the thermodynamic features of the vapour-liquid phase transition of metals. Another equally important aspect of the problem is the size-dependent gradual evolution of metallic properties in isolated, microscopic metal clusters which clearly must be part of any detailed consideration of the liquid-vapour critical point phase transition of metals.