Structures and equation of state of gadolinium using in-situ x-ray diffraction

F-electron metals remain one of the most complex systems for predicting material behavior using ab-initio calculations, due to their sophisticated electronic and lattice structures. Therefore, obtaining experimental data on lanthanides becomes extremely crucial to tightly constraining the equation of state. Here, we present direct evidence of phase transitions and melting along the principle Hugoniot in a f-electron lanthanide, gadolinium using in-situ laser shock diffraction at the Dynamic Compression Sector (DCS).