Melting Temperature of Bismuth to 55 GPa Using Synchrotron X-Ray Phase Contrast Imaging

The melting temperature of elemental bismuth under high pressure has been measured to 55 GPa using synchrotron x-ray phase-contrast imaging in the laser-heated diamond anvil cell. Imaging of solid-liquid interface formation, combined with radiometric temperature and x-ray diffraction measurements, reveals a pronounced reduction in melting boundary slope in Bi-V with pressure. The unusually steep initial slope is attributed to low configurational entropy of melting, arising from structural ordering and coordination matching in the cool liquid, while slope reduction is driven by entropy increase correlated with significant liquid structure changes with rising pressure and temperature. The data rule out kinetic effects on melting in shock compression experiments and demonstrate the need for improved theoretical phase diagrams.