Shock Compression of the Ionic Solid MgF2: Experiments and Simulations

Magnesium fluoride is a simple ionic solid with archetypal crystal phases. We present new measurements of the principal Hugoniot from direct impact experiments using magnetically-launched flyers on the Z machine at Sandia and from laser-driven experiments using the Omega Laser Facility. We extend the principal shock Hugoniot of MgF2 up to 700 GPa and release measurements to explore the off-Hugoniot regime, where experimental data are even sparser. Additionally, we measured temperature along the Hugoniot using the decaying shock method in the laser-driven experiments. We compare the experimental results with AIMD calculations validating our simulation methods for complex ionic crystals. Our results provide a robust set of complete thermodynamic data that can be used to develop a high pressure, high temperature equation of state.