Description of Research Area

A02: Space-time | Proposed Research Projects (2014-2015)

Glass Transition of Liquids Consisting of Globular Associates as Model Systems for Glass Study
Leader SAITO, Kazuya Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba URL : http://www.chem.tsukuba.ac.jp/kazuya/index_E.html
Research Subject Glass has been utilized longer than 6000 years, and nowadays occupies an important part in practical materials. However, there still remain many mysteries in its microscopic structures and accompanied dynamics. Exploration on the mysteries bares many difficulties, which put the glass issue to be the biggest unsolved in condensed matter physics. In the glass study, there has existed a gap between theoretical/computational approach and experimental one: The former usually assume idealized molecules with simple shapes (such as sphere) for simplicity while the latter treats complicated systems for the ease of glass formation. In order to fill the gap, this study proposes liquids consisting of globular associates as model systems. On the basis of our previous study, experiments will be conducted utilizing calorimetric, dielectric, and rheological spectroscopies on some alcoholic substances with chemical modifications to vary systematically the intermolecular interaction.
Research Partner YAMAMURA, Yasuhisa Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba HISHIDA, Mafumi Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba