| Abstract | We study the conductivities σ of (i) the equilibrium isochoric state (σ is ), (ii) the equilibrium isobaric state (σ ib ), and also the (iii) non-equilibrium ultrafast matter (UFM) state (σ uf ) with the ion temperature T i less than the the electron temperature T e . Aluminum, lithium and carbon are considered, being increasingly complex warm dense matter (WDM) systems, with carbon having transient covalent bonds. First-principles calculations, i.e., neutral-pseudoatom (NPA) calculations and density-functional theory (DFT) with molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations, are compared where possible with experimental data to characterize σ ic ,σ ib and σ uf . The NPA σ ib are closest to the available experimental data when compared to results from DFT+MD, where simulations of about 64-125 atoms are typically used. The published conductivities for Li are reviewed and the value at a temperature of 4.5 eV is examined using supporting X-ray Thomson scattering calculations. A physical picture of the variations of σ with temperature and density applicable to these materials is given. The insensitivity of σ to T e below 10 eV for carbon, compared to Al and Li, is clarified. |
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