Pressure dependence of structural and dynamical properties in melt sulfur: Evidence for two successive chain breakages

Using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, the pressure dependence of structural and dynamical properties in melt sulfur along 1085 K isotherm was studied with pressure range from 4.18 to 15.8 GPa. It was found that the atomic chains in melt sulfur abruptly break twice with increasing pressure. The electric density of state near EF and the diffusion coefficient both show abrupt increase along with these two times of breakages. These changes would strongly influence the physical properties such as conductivity and viscosity. However, the density discontinuity along the isotherm, indication of a first-order phase transition, was not found.