Author Description

High pressure science is a rapidly growing diverse fi. e1d. The high pressure technique has become a powerful tool for both the study and preparation of materials. In spi. te of the many high pressure conferences held in recent years, I felt that there was a need for scientists within a well-defined area (not bound merely by the common experimental technique) to meet in an atmosphere conducive to frank exchange and close interaction. In this spirit, the Cleveland State University hosted such a conference from July 20 to 22, 1977, in which the physics of solids under high pressures and at low tempera tures was specifically examined. Both the original and review papers presented at the conference and the candid discussions following their presentations appear in this volume. They clearly cover a rather complete spectrum of current research in the physics of solids at high pressures and low temperatures. I wish to thank the National Aeronautics and Space Administra tion, the Office of Naval Research and the National Science Founda tion for their financial support of the conference. In addition, I wish especially to thank Steinar Huang for his unceasing assistance in arranging this conference. I also wish to thank him and Francis Stephenson for their assistance in preparing this book. C. W. Chu, Chairman, International Conference on High Pressure and Low Temperature Physics v Contents HYDROGEN AND METAL-HYDRIDES (Chairman: I. Spain) PROSPECTS FOR METALLIC HYDROGEN 1 A. L.