Real-time structure and temperature measurement of gadolinium under dynamic compression*

F-electron metals remain one of the most complex systems for predicting material behavior using ab-initio calculations, due to their sophisticated electronic and lattice structures. Therefore, obtaining experimental data on lanthanides becomes extremely crucial to tightly constraining the equation of state. Here, we present direct evidence of phase transitions and melting along the principle Hugoniot in a f-electron lanthanide, gadolinium, using in-situ laser shock diffraction at the Dynamic Compression Sector (DCS). Additionally, temperature measurements using pyrometry will also be presented.