Melting properties of group-V elements and InSb

Summary In this paper, we study the structural properties of liquid group-V elements (and a compound InSb) and we analyse the differences with their room temperature crystalline phases. Neutron diffraction experiments are performed using short-wavelength neutrons (0.7 ?). We show different melting behaviours of a light element (As) and a heavy element (Sb) under study. Whereas As keeps its coordination three upon melting, Sb is six-coordinated in the melt. Similarly, InSb has a coordination number increasing from 4 to about 6 upon melting. Large entropies of melting are related to important structural variations. Paper presented at the workshop ?Highlights on Simple Liquids?, held in Turin at ISI on 1–3 May, 1989.