Can dynamic neutron scattering help to understand a thermodynamic variant of an internal quantum-mechanical experiment in the angstrom range?
A chain of ideas is described connecting the theory of quantum-mechanical experiments with practical research in the relaxation of liquids, biological materials, and materials science. The chain culminates at the proposal of an experimentum crucis comparing dynamic neutron scattering, dynamic calorimetry, and computer simulation of the same substances at the crossover region of the dynamic glass transition. The conclusiveness of the experimentum crucis backwards the chain is discussed. The role of relaxation of liquids in confining geometries is also discussed, especially with respect to the confirmation of the von Laue variant for the characteristic length of glass transition as alternative to their Gibbs treatment that results in too large lengths.
Donth
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Fachbereich Physik, Universität Halle, 06099, Halle (Saale), Germany. donth@physik.uni-halle.de