X-ray diffraction from levitated liquid yttrium oxide

We report the first measurements of the structure factor, S(Q), and radial distribution function, G(r), of yttrium oxide in the normal and supercooled liquid states in the temperature range 2500-3100 K, Measurements were obtained by synchrotron X-ray scattering on levitated, laser-heated liquid specimens, At temperatures far in excess of the melting point, the first and second coordination shells begin to merge, indicative of increased ionicity in the liquid. As the temperature is lowered into the supercooled region, there is substantial sharpening and strengthening in the first peaks in both see, and G(r), Supercooling causes a decrease in the first shell coordination and Il values together with an increase in the Y-O interionic distance.