X-PressMatter Group' IHPP PAS

Soft  Matter  Blog

Discover the secrets of Soft Matter with us!

 Progress in understanding and describing the anomalous previtreous increase of the primary (structural) relaxation time or viscosity is considered the key to resolving the grand  scientific challenge of the glass transition. This report presents the NEW MODEL proposed by Aleksandra Drozd-Rzoska, and the NEW evidence for the previtreous behavior of the relaxation time, and the apparent fragility, offering a new gate for glass transition models.

The solid curves in the figure are described by the NEW  relation visible in this picture. 

The obtained relation is universal for glass formers belonging to low molecular weight liquids, polymers (melt and solid), plastic crystals, liquid crystals, resins, and relaxors. The novel relation obeys even above the dynamic crossover temperature, with the power exponent Ω ranging between ~17 (liquid crystals) ~ and 57 (glycerol), which may indicate the local IMPACT of SYMMETRY on the previtreous behavior. Finally, the emerging similarity to the behavior observed  in the isotropic phase of nematic liquid crystals is recalled.

* 1. Popularization of knowledge, especially regarding Soft Matter Physics and the impact of High Pressure 

* 2. Promoting achievements of young scientists  associated with the X-PressMatter IHPP PAS Laboratory

* 3. Promoting knowledge about personalities of the world of science

* 4. Supporting co-organization/ organization of the "Show Yourself in Science" Workshop & International Seminar on Soft Matter

This WEBSITE was created to realize the following, main  GOALS:

Soft Matter systems have common features, such as the dominance of elements or local structures on the mesoscale, combined with their relatively weak interactions, which turns out to be sufficient to obtain a tendency to self-organize with even a small change in parameters. This additionally leads to extraordinary sensitivity to even minor endogenous and exogenous factors, e.g., nanoparticles and pressure. In the case of the latter, relatively low pressures P~1 GPa, or even much lower ones, can lead to phases/states with exotic features, often persisting after decompression.

Worth stressing, that for "classical hard matter" systems, a pressure similar to that at the Earth's core (~300 GPa) is typically required, and the resulting "exotic" properties most often disappear upon decompression.

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