Measurements of dielectric relaxation help defining the origin of the Slow Arrhenius process (SAP)

What is it about?

A system is at equilibrium when its properties do not change with time. Experience tells us that such observation is, however, rarely encountered in nature. Since almost a century, we know that macroscopic phenomena of equilibration require microscopic motion of molecules. Our laboratory has recently discovered that molecules can equilibrate via a type of motion called the Slow Arrhenius process, SAP. In this paper, we show that the energy barrier that molecules need to overcome to move via the SAP does not depend on temperature, nor on the volume of the material.

Featured Image

Photo by Deleece Cook on Unsplash

Photo by Deleece Cook on Unsplash

Why is it important?

While the molecular origin of the SAP is still under debate, we show that simple mathematical modeling permits extending the investigation of this new process to temperatures much lower than those previously investigated. The outcome of our analysis allowed us to verify that the SAP has nothing to do with the so-called secondary processes of the glassy state. These results contribute in defining the nature of this elusive process.

Perspectives