Melting line and Phase diagram of Gold to 250 GPa.

This proposal aims to extend the melting curve and phase diagram exploration of gold into the multi-megabar range. Due to its exceptional chemical inertness and structural stability, gold is a widely used high pressure standard and is an important material in many applications. Using an elaborate sample geometry, we were able to measure the melt line of gold up to 110 GPa. With the upgrade of the ESRF, it is now possible to further pursue these measurements in the multi-megabar range and compare with recent shock wave experiments performed at the APS synchrotron.