Quantum Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Optical Reflectivity of Shock-Compressed Tin

Shock-compression experiments have measured the optical reflectivity of tin to detect: (1) a solid-solid phase transition ($\beta$ to BCT); (2) melting on the Hugoniot curve, and; (3) melting during the release of the strongly shocked material. Recent quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) simulations have been successful at determining the optical properties of warm, dense materials such as shock-compressed deuterium, exploding wires made of aluminum and copper, and laser-heated thin films of gold. In this work, we present QMD calculations of the optical conductivity and reflectivity of solid (cold) $\beta$ tin, representative of shock-compressed and shock-released states. Calculated differences in the optical reflectivity between the cold and warm states will be compared with the measurements from shock-compressed experiments.