Self-Diffusion Coefficient of the Melt of Semiconductor Crystalline Germanium under Microgravity of the Fifth TR-IA Rocket

Abstract

The self-diffusion coefficient of liquid germanium, which shows semiconductor properties in the solid crystalline state, was measured by the long capillary method under microgravity due to the launch of the fifth TR-IA rocket. The obtained self-diffusion coefficients are smaller than the previous data on the ground. Only in the low temperature range, a good agreement was obtained between experimental values and calculated ones based on the hard sphere model with low packing fractions. The experimental values were compared also with previous MD simulations. The chaotic circumstance, that is various predicted values of self-­diffusion coefficient in the wide range, indicates that studies must be performed further and further with the particular relation to liquid structures.