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SESAME Database

Equation-of-State tabular data for the thermodynamic properties of materials.
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The SESAME Equation-of-State (EOS) Library

  • Standardized, computer-based library of tables for the thermodynamic properties of materials
  • More than 150 materials including simple elements, compounds, metals, minerals, polymers and mixtures
  • Access tools for multiple program languages enabling varied code integration
  • Developed and maintained by the Equation of State and the Physics and Chemistry of Materials Group in the Theoretical Division
Equation of State (EOS)
In physics and thermodynamics, an EOS is a constitutive equation describing the state of matter under a given set of physical conditions. It provides a mathematical relationship between two or more of that matter's state functions, such as its temperature, pressure, volume, or internal energy.

Our EOS's describe the interconnections between the various macroscopically measurable properties of a system over a broad range of materials and expansive regions of pressure and temperature. Such equations of state are useful in describing properties of fluids, mixtures of fluids, and solids. Some particular applications include stellar and planetary modelling, as  well as implementation in hydrodynamics simulations.

Further basic introduction to EOS and the SESAME library can be found in the Sesame EOS Introduction (pdf).
SESAME Library

The Library currently contains data for about 150 materials, including simple elements, compounds, metals, minerals, polymers, mixtures, etc. The EOS's for existing materials in the Library are upgraded when appropriate, and EOS's for new materials are added frequently. The Library is used by many researchers, both inside and outside the Laboratory; external users include scientists at various institutions in the United States and in other countries. The Library is presently being offered to all interested users free of charge.

The thermodynamic data stored in the Library include tables of pressure P and energy E (and also in many cases, of Helmholtz free energy A), each as a function of density r and temperature T. Besides total P, E, and A tables, often separate P, E, and A tables of thermal electronic and ion (including zero point) contributions are available. Some materials also have vaporization, melt and shear tables. The typical density and temperature ranges are from 10-6 to 104 gm/cc and 0 to 105 ev respectively.

There also exist SESAME Libraries for opacity and conductivity data. The lower limit on the opacity data is about 1ev. The opacity library includes Rosseland and Plank mean opacities, electron conductive opacity and mean ion charge for elements with atomic number Z £ 30. The conductivity library contains tables of mean ion charge, electrical and thermal conductivity, thermoelectric coefficient and electron conductive opacity for elements Z = 1 through Z = 96.

Details of the SESAME Library implementation (pdf)

Request Access
  1. Read, sign, and return the agreement (pdf) to sesame@lanl.gov.
    NOTE: Read carefully to be sure you will meet the conditions set out in the agreement.
  2. Complete the request form (pdf) and return to sesame@lanl.gov.
  3. Cite SESAME Database and material creator when your results are published
    • [standard journal ref]; SESAME [material number]
    • [authors], SESAME [material number], in Los Alamos National Laboratory Report No. LA-UR-[year-number], ([month, year])

E-mail sesame@lanl.gov if you have any questions.

Tools

EOSPAC

The EOSPAC 6 package is a collection of C routines that can be used to access the SESAME data library.

OpenSesame/DisplaySesame

OpenSesame is a code system for creating and interacting with equation of state libraries.

DisplaySesame is the display package that reads the SESAME database and displays various thermodynamic curves calculated from the database. The package uses Grace and works on most Unix/Linux/Mac computers.

Resources