Evolution of electrical resistivity and electronic structure of transuranium metals under pressure: Numerical investigations

Abstract

The influence of electronic structure evolution upon pressure on the temperature dependencies of electrical resistivity of pure Np, Pu, Am, and Cm metals have been investigated within coherent potential approximation (CPA) for many-bands conductivity model. Electronic structure of pure actinide metals was calculated within the local density approximation with the Hubbard U and spin-orbit coupling corrections (LDA+U +SO) method in various phases at normal conditions and under pressure. They were compared with the corresponding cubic (bcc or fcc) phases. The densities of states of the latter were used as a starting point of model investigations of electrical resistivity. The obtained results were found in good agreement with available experimental data. The nature of large magnitude of resistivity of actinides was discussed in terms of the proposed conductivity model using the ab initio calculated parameters.