X-ray Diffraction Studies on Dysprosium at High Pressures

Dysprosium has been studied at pressures up to about 160 kilobars, well above the transition reported near 50 kilobars by other workers. It shows no definite structural alteration from hexagonal close-packed structure throughout this range. It is suggested that the 50-kilobar transition is most likely electronic or magnetic in nature, or that the metal undergoes a hexagonal stacking rearrangement.