On the ergodicity of supercooled molecular glass-forming liquids at the dynamical arrest: the o-terphenyl case

The dynamics of supercooled ortho-terphenyl has been studied using photon-correlation spectroscopy (PCS) in the depolarized scattering geometry. The obtained relaxation curves are analyzed according to the mode-coupling theory (MCT) for supercooled liquids. The main results are: i) the observation of the secondary Johari-Goldstein relaxation (β) that has its onset just at the dynamical crossover temperature T[subscript B] (T[subscript M] > T[subscript B] > T[subscript g]); ii) the confirmation, of the suggestion of a recent statistical mechanical study, that such a molecular system remains ergodic also below the calorimetric glass-transition temperature T[subscript g]. Our experimental data give evidence that the time scales of the primary (α) and this secondary relaxations are correlated. Finally a comparison with recent PCS experiments in a colloidal system confirms the primary role of the dynamical crossover in the physics of the dynamical arrest.United States. Dept. of Energy. Office of Basic Energy Sciences (Contract DE-FG02-90ER45429