Does supercooled liquid Si have a density maximum?
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Measuring the Densities of Aqueous Glasses at Cryogenic Temperatures
Published on: June 28, 2017
Masahito Watanabe1, Masayoshi Adachi, Tetsuya Morishita
1Department of Physics, Gakushuin University, 1-5-1 Mejiro, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan. masahito.watanabe@gakushuin.ac.jp
Abstract:
We have performed precise measurements of the density of supercooled liquid silicon (l-Si) in the temperature range of 1530-1800 K using an electromagnetic levitation (EML) technique with static magnetic fields. We also performed first-principles molecular dynamics simulation (FPMD) of supercooled l-Si. The observed density of the supercooled l-Si and the FPMD results show good agreement in the temperature range of 1530-1800 K. The structure of the supercooled l-Si also showed good agreement between the experimental measurements and FPMD simulations. Based on these results, we discuss nucleation in supercooled l-Si and also the existence of a density maximum in the supercooled l-Si, which is well known in water at 4 degrees C.
Related Concept Videos
Density
Liquid–Solid Solutions
Phase Diagrams
Nonideal Two-Component Liquid Solutions
Intermolecular Forces and Physical Properties
Comparing Intermolecular Forces: Melting Point, Boiling Point, and Miscibility
Temporary attractive forces like dispersion are present in all molecules, whether they are polar or nonpolar. They...
