Electrical conductivity of iron under shock compression up to 200 GPa

The electrical conductivity of shock-compressed iron was measured up to 208 GPa by using an improved sample assembly in which the iron sample is encapsulated in a single-crystal sapphire cell. High-pressure shock compressions were generated by plate impact with a two-stage light-gas gun. The measured conductivity of iron varies from 1.45 x 10(4) Omega(-1) cm(-1) at 101 GPa and 2010 K, to 7.65 x 10(3) Omega(-1) cm(-1) at 208 GPa and 5220 K. After analysing these data to-ether with those reported previously, we found that the Bloch-Gruneisen expression is valid for E-iron in the pressure and temperature range up to 208 GPa and 5220 K.