During the next four years we will involve 32 undergraduates in two closely allied research groups in glass science. Among the scientific questions we will address is the nature of the intermediate range order in glass with a focus on borate glasses. We are using a multi-prong approach that is highly motivating to undergraduate students including high field nuclear magnetic resonance, time-of-flight mass spectroscopy, neutron scattering (using the MARI and GEM detectors at ISIS at the Rutherford lab in the UK), Raman and FTIR spectroscopies, and scanning probe microscopy. We are also using highly precise molar volumes, thermal measures, and elastic constants to relate physical properties to quantitative models of the intermediate range order. We continue our pioneering use of time-of-flight mass spectroscopy to study the atomic arrangements in heavy metal oxide glass systems. The goals of this technique are to identify the extent of mixing of glass networks in ternary systems (perhaps evidenced by nanoscale phase separation) and clustering of metal ions in oxide glasses. A third thrust of our research is the elucidation of new glass-forming systems through the use of rapid cooling. We are currently investigating glassy alkali vanadates prepared using the twin-roller method. Besides the direct involvement of nearly three dozen students, we believe our research methods with undergraduates may serve as a model for the physics and materials communities and we plan to discuss it at the national level.
This project is designed to provide exciting state-of-the art undergraduate research experiences to nearly three dozen students. Students will participate in a number of in-house and collaborative experiments to help answer these questions: What is the structure of glass and how does the atomic structure relate to the physical properties displayed by the glasses? We are now moving from an understanding of short-range order to an understanding of the structure at the level of perhaps ten to twenty atoms. Another research question we ask with our students is what new glass forming systems may we form using rapid cooling (more than 100,000oC/second) of melts? Besides providing extensive research training to these undergraduates our research over the past twenty-five years has led to an educational model of working with undergraduate students that may serve the nation.
