Evidence of two viscous relaxation processes in the collective dynamics of liquid lithium

New inelastic X-ray scattering experiments have been performed on liquid lithium in a wide wavevector range. With respect to the previous measurements, the instrumental resolution, improved up to 1.5 meV, allows to accurately investigate the dynamical processes determining the observed shape of the the dynamic structure factor, $S(Q,\omega)$. A detailed analysis of the lineshapes shows the co-existence of relaxation processes with both a slow and a fast characteristic timescales, and therefore that pictures of the relaxation mechanisms based on a simple viscoelastic model must be abandoned.Comment: 5 pages, 4 .PS figure

Structural and Dynamical Anomalies of a Gaussian Core Fluid: a Mode Coupling Theory Study

We present a theoretical study of transport properties of a liquid comprised of particles uist1:/home/sokrates/egorov/oldhome/Pap41/Submit > m abs.tex We present a theoretical study of transport properties of a liquid comprised of particles interacting via Gaussian Core pair potential. Shear viscosity and self-diffusion coefficient are computed on the basis of the mode-coupling theory, with required structural input obtained from integral equation theory. Both self-diffusion coefficient and viscosity display anomalous density dependence, with diffusivity increasing and viscosity decreasing with density within a particular density range along several isotherms below a certain temperature. Our theoretical results for both transport coefficients are in good agreement with the simulation data

Density fluctuations and single-particle dynamics in liquid lithium

The single-particle and collective dynamical properties of liquid lithium have been evaluated at several thermodynamic states near the triple point. This is performed within the framework of mode-coupling theory, using a self-consistent scheme which, starting from the known static structure of the liquid, allows the theoretical calculation of several dynamical properties. Special attention is devoted to several aspects of the single-particle dynamics, which are discussed as a function of the thermodynamic state. The results are compared with those of Molecular Dynamics simulations and other theoretical approaches.Comment: 31 pages (in preprint format), 14 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Liquid-like behavior of supercritical fluids

The high frequency dynamics of fluid oxygen have been investigated by Inelastic X-ray Scattering. In spite of the markedly supercritical conditions ($T\approx 2 T_c$, $P>10^2 P_c$), the sound velocity exceeds the hydrodynamic value of about 20%, a feature which is the fingerprint of liquid-like dynamics. The comparison of the present results with literature data obtained in several fluids allow us to identify the extrapolation of the liquid vapor-coexistence line in the ($P/P_c$, $T/T_c$) plane as the relevant edge between liquid- and gas-like dynamics. More interestingly, this extrapolation is very close to the non metal-metal transition in hot dense fluids, at pressure and temperature values as obtained by shock wave experiments. This result points to the existence of a connection between structural modifications and transport properties in dense fluids.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted by Phys. Rev. Let

Fluctuating magnetic moments in liquid metals

We re-analyze literature data on neutron scattering by liquid metals to show that non-magnetic liquid metals possess a magnetic moment that fluctuates on a picosecond time scale. This time scale follows the motion of the cage-diffusion process in which an ion rattles around in the cage formed by its neighbors. We find that these fluctuating magnetic moments are present in liquid Hg, Al, Ga and Pb, and possibly also in the alkali metals.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures, submitted to PR

α\alpha-Scale Decoupling of the Mechanical Relaxation and Diverging Shear Wave Propagation Lengthscale in Triphenylphosphite

We have performed depolarized Impulsive Stimulated Scattering experiments to observe shear acoustic phonons in supercooled triphenylphosphite (TPP) from $\sim$10 - 500 MHz. These measurements, in tandem with previously performed longitudinal and shear measurements, permit further analyses of the relaxation dynamics of TPP within the framework of the mode coupling theory (MCT). Our results provide evidence of $\alpha$ coupling between the shear and longitudinal degrees of freedom up to a decoupling temperature $T_c$ = 231 K. A lower bound length scale of shear wave propagation in liquids verified the exponent predicted by theory in the vicinity of the decoupling temperature

A simple measure of memory for dynamical processes described by the generalized Langevin equation

Memory effects are a key feature in the description of the dynamical systems governed by the generalized Langevin equation, which presents an exact reformulation of the equation of motion. A simple measure for the estimation of memory effects is introduced within the framework of this description. Numerical calculations of the suggested measure and the analysis of memory effects are also applied for various model physical systems as well as for the phenomena of ``long time tails'' and anomalous diffusion

Aluminum-silicon Interdiffusion in Screen Printed Metal Contacts for Silicon based Solar Cells Applications☆

Abstract In this work we propose a detailed investigation of the Al – Si interdiffusion that occurs during the firing process of the Al-Si back contact of silicon based solar cells. The investigation is based on high resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and compositional microanalysis with energy dispersive X-Ray microanalysis (EDX). We have found a dependence of Si precipitation in the Al matrix depending on the microstructure of the Al screen printable paste. We suggest a gettering effect promoted by the larger Al particles lying within the Al paste being able to affect the Al paste resistivity, the Al distribution within the BSF region of the solar cell, thus affecting the solar cell performances and finally the Al paste thermal expansion coefficient. Finally we demonstrate that the presence of the glass frit reduces the surface tension and, homogenizes the diffusion process. Reduction of surface tension decreases the internal pressure and increases the Si interdiffusion in Al

Simple theory for spin-lattice relaxation in metallic rare earth ferromagnets

The spin-lattice relaxation time $\tau_{SL}$ is a key quantity both for the dynamical response of ferromagnets excited by laser pulses and as the speed limit of magneto-optical recording. Extending the theory for the electron paramagnetic resonance of magnetic impurities to spin-lattice relaxation in ferromagnetic rare earths we calculate $\tau_{SL}$ for Gd and find a value of 48 ps in very good agreement with time-resolved spin-polarized photoemission experiments. We argue that the time scale for $\tau_{SL}$ in metals is essentially given by the spin-orbit induced magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy.Comment: 18 pages revtex, 5 uuencoded figure