The electronic properties of liquid metals

Abstract

Recent experimental work on the electronic properties of liquid metals has shown how these properties change at the melting point and vary with temperature in the liquid state. These results are summarized and discussed. The difficulty of explaining the phenomena by methods which are orthodox in solid state physics is pointed out and some simple models suited to liquids are described and compared. More fundamental attempts to obtain the density of states and mean free path from a direct approach to Schrödinger's equation are outlined. It is emphasized that many unsolved problems remain.