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Relaxation in glassforming liquids and amorphous solids

2000, Journal of Applied Physics

Abstract

The field of viscous liquid and glassy solid dynamics is reviewed by a process of posing the key questions that need to be answered, and then providing the best answers available to the authors and their advisors at this time. The subject is divided into four parts, three of them dealing with behavior in different domains of temperature with respect to the glass transition temperature, Tg, and a fourth dealing with “short time processes.” The first part tackles the high temperature regime T>Tg, in which the system is ergodic and the evolution of the viscous liquid toward the condition at Tg is in focus. The second part deals with the regime T∼Tg, where the system is nonergodic except for very long annealing times, hence has time-dependent properties (aging and annealing). The third part discusses behavior when the system is completely frozen with respect to the primary relaxation process but in which secondary processes, particularly those responsible for “superionic” conductivit...