Noble gases and hydrogen at high pressures

Abstract

The equation of state of the noble gases helium, argon, and xenon as well as of hydrogen and deuterium is determined by considering reactions such as dissociation and ionization within a chemical picture. The molecular and atomic constituents, i.e. the neutral particles, are treated within fluid variational theory, while for the charged particles a plasma model is applied. Results are given for densities and temperatures relevant to the interior of giant planets. Comparison is performed with available shock-wave experiments and other theoretical work.