Dynamical inhomogeneity of liquid Te near the melting temperature proved by the inelastic x-ray scattering measurements

Kajihara Yukio

Inui Masanori

Hosokawa Shinya

Matsuda Kazuhiro

Baron Q.R. Alfred

Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter

High-frequency dynamics of liquid Te near the melting temperature has been investigated by the inelastic x-ray scattering measurements. Dynamic structure factors S(Q; E) are obtained at 500, 650 and 800 ±C. Acoustic excitation is ascertained at each temperature: its Q- dependent phase velocity v(Q) switches from high-frequency value vIXS to the ultrasonic value vs at some momentum transfer (Q = Qtrans). With decreasing temperature, both the positiveness (≡ (vIXS - vs)=vs) and the effective length (≡ 2π/Qtrans) increase, which means that the structural relaxation in liquid Te changes much in this temperature region. With the aid of the thermodynamic formulation, we show that it should be an evidence of the dynamical inhomogeneity: it can be much enhanced by the M-NM transition which exists in the supercooled region. The dynamical inhomogeneity may be induced by the second critical phenomena which is similar to liquid water.

Physics [ 420 ]

eng

IOP Publishing Ltd

Copyright (c) Institute of Physics and IOP Publishing Limited 2009.

[ISSN] 0953-8984

[DOI] 10.1088/0953-8984/20/49/494244

[NCID] AA10672168

[DOI] http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984/20/49/494244