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from the Alchemist Newsletter from Chemweb.com
Full story at Living metals by the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF).
from the Alchemist Newsletter from Chemweb.comEuropean scientists used synchrotron X-ray microbeams to observe how the microscopic structure of a crystalline material fluctuates in time even when the temperature remains constant. The study shows in microscopic detail how a metal alloy, composed of iron and aluminum, changes when heated. In contrast to conventional wisdom, the researchers discovered that one class of interference peaks associated with the low-temperature structure disappears, while another class of peaks belonging to the new structure emerge at the same temperature. This gives clearcut evidence that temporal structural fluctuations on an atomic scale are present in the crystal and could lead to new insights in the field of condensed matter science.
Using Synchrotron X-ray microbeams, a research team from the Max Planck Institute for Metals Research in Stuttgart and the ESRF has been able to observe for the first time that the microscopic structure of a crystalline material fluctuates in time. The results were just published in Science Express with the title: Scaling in the Time Domain: Universal Dynamics of Order Fluctuations in Fe3Al.
Crystal structures can fluctuate at a constant temperature due to several factors such as thermal energy, defects in the crystal lattice, and external stressors. These factors can cause atoms or molecules within the crystal to move and shift, leading to changes in the overall structure.
The fluctuation of a crystal structure can be measured using techniques such as X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. These methods allow scientists to visualize and analyze the changes in the crystal structure over time.
Yes, the fluctuation of a crystal structure can affect its properties. For example, changes in the crystal structure can alter the material's mechanical, electrical, and optical properties. This can have important implications in fields such as materials science and engineering.
While some factors that cause crystal structure fluctuations may be uncontrollable, such as thermal energy, researchers can manipulate external stressors and use techniques such as annealing to control and stabilize the crystal structure. This can be useful in optimizing material properties for specific applications.
The fluctuation of a crystal structure can affect its overall stability by potentially causing defects or imperfections in the crystal lattice. These defects can weaken the material and make it more susceptible to changes in temperature or external stressors. However, fluctuations can also play an important role in the self-healing and self-organizing properties of some crystals.