This work is devoted to an analysis of the thermodynamic and transport prop
er-ties of high-density low-temperature gases and plasmas. The results of t
wo independent theoretical methods are discussed and compared: path integra
l Monte Carlo data and results from a new chemical model which takes into a
ccount free charged particles, atoms, molecules and molecular ions. The two
approaches show good agreement for the equation of state of hydrogen up to
the multimegabar range. At low temperature, both show indications of a fir
st-order phase transition. Furthermore, based on the chemical model the ele
ctrical conductivity of dense hydrogen and deuterium and the deuterium shoc
k hugoniot are computed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved
.