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Employing wide-angle neutron spin echo spectroscopy, we measured the Q-dependent coherent intermediate scattering function of the prototypical ionic glass former Ca0.4K0.6(NO3)1.4, in the equilibrium and supercooled liquid states beyond the hydrodynamic regime. The data reveal a clear two-step relaxation: an exponential fast process, and a stretched exponential slow alpha process. de Gennes narrowing is observed in all characteristic variables of the alpha process: the relaxation time, amplitude, and stretching exponent. At all length scales probed, the relative amplitude of the alpha-relaxation decreases with increasing temperature and levels off in the normal liquid state. The temperature dependence of the stretching exponent and the relaxation time at different Q's indicate that modifications of the relaxation mechanisms at the local length scales, manifested as temperature independent dynamic heterogeneity and smaller deviations from Arrhenius behavior, have occurred even above the alpha-beta (Johari-Goldstein) bifurcation temperature.

Understanding the dynamics of soft colloids, such as star polymers, dendrimers, and microgels, is of scientific and practical importance. It is known that the excluded volume effect plays a key role in colloidal dynamics. Here, we propose a condition of compressibility equivalence that provides a simple method to experimentally evaluate the excluded volume of soft colloids from a thermodynamic view. We apply this condition to survey the dynamics of a series of star polymer dispersions. It is found that as the concentration increases, the slowing of the long-time self-diffusivity of the star polymer, normalized by the short-time self-diffusivity, can be mapped onto the hard-sphere behavior. This phenomenon reveals the dynamic equivalence between soft colloids and hard spheres, despite the apparent complexity of the interparticle interaction of the soft colloids. The methods for measuring the osmotic compressibility and the self-diffusivities of soft colloidal dispersions are also presented., Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures

Many of the anomalous properties of water are amplified in the deeply supercooled region. Here we present neutron scattering measurements of the density of heavy water confined in a nanoporous silica matrix MCM-41-S (\approx15 {\AA} pore diameter), namely, the equation of state {\rho}(T,P), in a temperature-pressure range, from 300 K to 130 K and from 1 bar to 2900 bar, where bulk water will crystalize. A sudden change of slope in the otherwise continuous density profile (a "kink") is observed below a certain pressure Pc; however, this feature is absent above Pc. Instead, a hysteresis phenomenon in the density profiles between the warming and cooling scans becomes prominent above Pc. Hence, the data can be interpreted as a line of apparent 2nd-order phase transition at low pressures evolving into a line of 1st-order phase transition at high pressures. If so, the existence of a "tricritical point" at Pc \approx 1500 bar, Tc \approx 210 K becomes another possible scenario to explain the exceptionally rich phase behavior of low-temperature confined water., Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures

Recently we have shown experimental evidence for a fragile-to-strong dynamic crossover (FSC) phenomenon in hydration water around a globular protein (lysozyme) at ambient pressure. In this letter we show that when applying pressure to the protein-water system, the FSC crossover temperatures in hydration water of lysozyme tracks the similar Widom line emanating from the existence of a liquid-liquid critical point in a 1-D confined water (in MCM-41-S). The mean squared displacements (MSD) of hydrogen atoms in lysozyme and in its hydration water show a sudden change of slopes at the same characteristic temperature, which decreases with an increasing pressure. These results taken together give support of the idea that the dynamic crossover (or so-called glass transition) of the protein is a function of both temperature and pressure, following the FSC of its hydration water., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

High-resolution quasi-elastic neutron scattering spectroscopy was used to measure H2O and D2O hydrated RNA samples. The contribution of scattering from RNA was subtracted out by taking the difference of the signals between the two samples. The measurements were made at a series of temperatures from 270 K down to 180 K. The Relaxing-Cage Model was used to analyze the difference quasi-elastic spectra. We observed clear evidence of a fragile-to-strong dynamic crossover (FSC) at TL = 220 K in RNA hydration water. We further show that the mean-square displacement of the hydrogen atoms in both RNA and its hydration water exhibit a sharp change in slope at approximately the same temperature 220 K. This latter fact suggests that the dynamic transition (or the glass transition) in RNA is triggered by the abrupt change of mobility of the hydration water at its FSC temperature TL., Comment: 2 pages, 3 figures

By confining water in nanopores, so narrow that the liquid cannot freeze, it is possible to explore its properties well below its homogeneous nucleation temperature TH ~ 235 K. In particular, the dynamical parameters of water can be measured down to 180 K approaching the suggested glass transition temperature Tg ~ 165 K. Here we present experimental evidence, obtained from Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Quasi-Elastic Neutron Scattering spectroscopies, of a well defined decoupling of transport properties (the self-diffusion coefficient and the average translational relaxation time), which implies the breakdown of the Stokes-Einstein relation. We further show that such a non-monotonic decoupling reflects the characteristics of the recently observed dynamic crossover, at about 225 K, between the two dynamical behaviors known as fragile and strong, which is a consequence of a change in the hydrogen bond structure of liquid water., Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures

At low temperatures proteins exist in a glassy state, a state which has no conformational flexibility and shows no biological functions. In a hydrated protein, at and above 220 K, this flexibility is restored and the protein is able to sample more conformational sub-states, thus becomes biologically functional. This 'dynamical' transition of protein is believed to be triggered by its strong coupling with the hydration water, which also shows a similar dynamic transition. Here we demonstrate experimentally that this sudden switch in dynamic behavior of the hydration water on lysozyme occurs precisely at 220 K and can be described as a Fragile-to-Strong dynamic crossover (FSC). At FSC, the structure of hydration water makes a transition from predominantly high-density (more fluid state) to low-density (less fluid state) forms derived from existence of the second critical point at an elevated pressure., Comment: 6 pages (Latex), 4 figures (Postscript)

We used high-resolution quasielastic neutron scattering spectroscopy to study the single-particle dynamics of water molecules on the surface of hydrated DNA samples. Both H2O and D2O hydrated samples were measured. The contribution of scattering from DNA is subtracted out by taking the difference of the signals between the two samples. The measurement was made at a series of temperatures from 270 K down to 185 K. The Relaxing-Cage Model was used to analyze the quasielastic spectra. This allowed us to extract a Q-independent average translational relaxation time of water molecules as a function of temperature. We observe clear evidence of a fragile-to-strong dynamic crossover (FSC) at TL = 222+-2 K by plotting log of average translational relaxation time vs. T. The coincidence of the dynamic transition temperature Tc of DNA, signaling the onset of anharmonic molecular motion, and the FSC temperature TL of the hydration water suggests that the change of mobility of the hydration water molecules across TL drives the dynamic transition in DNA., Comment: 4 pages (Latex), 5 figures (Postscript)

By confining water in nano-pores of silica glass, we can bypass the crystallization and study the pressure effect on the dynamical behavior in deeply supercooled state using neutron scattering. We observe a clear evidence of a cusp-like fragile-to-strong (F-S) dynamic transition. Here we show that the transition temperature decreases steadily with an increasing pressure, until it intersects the homogenous nucleation temperature line of bulk water at a pressure of 1600 bar. Above this pressure, it is no longer possible to discern the characteristic feature of the F-S transition. Identification of this end point with the possible second critical point is discussed., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures