X-ray and Neutron Diffraction from Liquid Alkali Metals

This paper deals with the accurate determination of the structure factors of three liquid alkali metals: Na, K and Cs. Special attention has been paid to the experimental aspects: the design of the X-ray and neutron goniometers including the sample holders and the corrections to be applied to the rough experimental results. An assessment of the accuracy achieved has been made, mainly by comparison with existing physical data. In order to interpret the final results, theoretical calculations with hard-sphere models have been carried out and a comparison with the results of computer experiments, based on more realistic potentials, has been made. Some physical quantities related to the structure factor (pair distribution function, direct correlation function, pair potential and electrical resistivity) have been calculated