Phase Equilibria in Molecular Hydrogen-Helium Mixtures at High Pressures

Abstract

Experiments on phase behavior in hydrogen-helium mixtures have been carried out at pressures up to 9.3 kilobars, at temperatures from 26° to 100° K. Two distinct fluid phases are shown to exist at supercritical temperatures and high pressures. Both the trend of the experimental results and an analysis based on the van der Waals theory of mixtures suggest that this fluid-fluid phase separation persists at temperatures and pressures beyond the range of these experiments, perhaps even to the limits of stability of the molecular phases. The results confirm earlier predictions concerning the form of the hydrogen-helium phase diagram in the region of pressure-induced solidification of the molecular phases at supercritical temperatures. The implications of this phase diagram for planetary interiors are discussed.