A quantum statistical treatment of the metal-nonmetal and liquid-vapour transitions in mercury

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Abstract
A quantum statistical approach for a charged particle system is used to give a unified treatment of the metal-non-metal and liquid-vapour transitions in mercury. The equation of state, which can be derived using the Green function method, is interpreted in terms of free charged particles and bound states, the energies of which are shifted due to the interaction with the medium. The numerical results suggest that the degree of ionization noticeably influences the liquid-vapour phase transition in mercury. Theoretical results for the liquid-vapour coexistence curve and the density dependence of the ionization energy are compared with experimental data.