Shock equation of state experiments in MgO up to 1.5 TPa and the effects of optical depth on temperature determination

Laser-driven shock compression enables an experimental study of phase transitions at unprecedented pressures and temperatures. One example is the shock Hugoniot of magnesium oxide (MgO), which crosses the B1–B2-liquid triple point at 400–600 GPa, 10 000–13 000 K (0.86–1.12 eV). MgO is a major component within the mantles of terrestrial planets and has long been a focus of high-pressure research. Here, we combine time-resolved velocimetry and pyrometry measurements with a decaying shock platform to obtain pressure–temperature data on MgO from 300 to 1500 GPa and 9000 to 50 000 K. Pressure–temperature–density Hugoniot data are reported at 1500 GPa. These data represent the near-instantaneous response of an MgO [100] single crystal to shock compression. We report on a prominent temperature anomaly between 400 and 460 GPa, in general agreement with previous shock studies, and draw comparison with equation-of-state models. We provide a detailed analysis of the decaying shock compression platform, including a treatment of a pressure-dependent optical depth near the shock front. We show that if the optical depth of the shocked material is larger than 1 μm, treating the shock front as an optically thick gray body will lead to a noticeable overestimation of the shock temperature.