Structural and mechanical properties of thorium carbide
We have investigated the cohesive energies, equilibrium lattice constants, pressure-volume relationship, phase transition pressure and elastic constant for thorium carbide using an interionic potential theory with modified ionic charge, which includes Coulomb screening effect due to d-electrons. This compound undergoes structural phase transition from NaCl (B{sub 1}) to CsCl (B{sub 2}) structure at high pressure 40 GPa. We have also calculated bulk, Young, and shear moduli, Poisson ratio and anisotropic ratio in NaCl (B{sub 1}) structure and compared them with other experimental and theoretical results which show a good agreement.