The total structure factors of the molten MX3 salts HoCl3, ErCl3, HoBr3 and
ErBr3 were measured by using neutron diffraction. The liquids comprise dis
torted MX63- octahedral units and show intermediate-range ionic ordering as
manifest by the first sharp diffraction peak at a scattering vector of app
roximate to 0.94 Angstrom(-1) for the trichlorides and approximate to 0.80
Angstrom(-1) for the tribromides. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights
reserved.