title: Liquid-liquid phase transition in supercooled yttria-alumina.
abstract: The structure and thermal characteristics of aerodynamically levitated samples of yttria-alumina in the liquid, supercooled liquid and solid phases were explored in an extensive series of high energy x-ray diffraction, small angle neutron scattering, and pyrometric cooling measurements. Particular focus was placed on the compound (Y2O3)(x)(Al2O3)(1-x) with x = 0.2 for which a liquid-liquid phase transition at a temperature of 1788 K has recently been reported. No structural or thermal signature in support of this metastable phase transition could be found.
authors.affiliation: H. H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TL, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Adrian C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: Lawrie B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Skinner
authors.forename: Philip S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Salmon
authors.forename: Alexei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bytchkov
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pozdnyakova
authors.forename: Thomas O
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Farmer
authors.forename: Henry E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Fischer