A novel topological compression mechanism in a covalent liquid.
Monte Carlo simulations of tetrahedrally bonded SiO(2) liquid show that pressure induces large changes in the topology of its four-coordinated framework structure but leaves the average properties of local coordination environments virtually unchanged. Ring statistics are used to describe the liquid's topology; the observed changes paradoxically indicate that the liquid compresses primarily by increasing the size of its rings. A theory for the effects of ring formation on density, which also explains the density of crystalline tectosilicates, accounts for the compression of the liquid.
Stixrude
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Bukowinski
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