The difference between hydrostatic and nonhydrostatic compression of gold and iron

Abstract

We have measured the compression of gold to 300 kbar in NaCl, methanol-ethanol, argon, and to 1.1 Mbar in diamond powder as pressure transmitting media and of α-iron to 150 kbar under hydrostatic conditions using synchrotron radiation. Diamond powder as pressure medium yields the same results as in hydro-static experiments. For hydrostatic pressure conditions the bulk modulus of gold and iron is about 10% higher than from non-hydrostatic x-ray, ultrasonic, and shock experiments.