Abstract
Through shock-compression experiments, pressure-density relation of condensed matter can be directly and precisely determined. We have established the high-time-resolution streak photographic system using a long-pulsed dye laser equipped with both the powder gun and two-stage light gas gun. By using them accuracy of the measurement is much improved. We started the Hugoniot-measurement experiments on pressure-scale materials such as Au and MgO up to >200 GPa for the purpose of improvement of the pressure scales. We are now measuring the Hugoniots of Au and MgO as well as those of some metals (Al, Cu, Ta, W, etc.) to determine the Hugoniot data free from the Los Alamos data. In this article, the backgrounds and problems of the various pressure scales are reviewed, and our approach to establish pressure scales by means of the shock-compression at Kumamoto University is described.
