Liquid-liquid phase transition in compressed hydrogen from first-principles simulations

The properties of compressed liquid hydrogen, the most abundant fluid in the universe, have been investigated by means of first-principles molecular dynamics at pressures between 75 and 175 GPa and temperatures closer to the freezing line than so far reported in shock-wave experiments. Evidence for a liquid-liquid transition between a molecular and a dissociated phase is provided. The transition is accompanied by a 6% increase in density and by metallization. This finding has important implications for our understanding of the interiors of giant planets and supports predictions of a quantum fluid state at low temperatures.