In this RUI project funded by Experimental Physical Chemistry in the Chemistry Division, Prof. Berberian (St. Joseph's College) will study molecular relaxation in simple glass-forming polar liquids and mixtures using both dielectric and heat capacity measurements. The two techniques complement each other and will help understand the interactions involved between components of mixtures of organic liquids, particularly the relaxation processes. Results of these data will contribute to explaining the behavior of more complex systems. The work is to be carried out with the aid of undergraduate assistants, who will benefit by exposure to modern research equipment and methodology. %%% Some molecules possess tiny electric dipole moments. By dissolving such molecules in mixtures of electrically inert species of similar size and shape, and making the solution part of an electric circuit, it is possible to use variations in current to study how the surroundings of a molecule influence its rotational motion. This is important because at low temperatures where the motion becomes extremely sluggish, detailed understanding of the intermolecular forces is absent. Prof. Beberian's project in this area will lead to an improved undertanding of this `glassy` state of matter.
