Origin of the excess specific heat in metallic glass forming liquids

TL;DR

This paper investigates the origin of excess specific heat in metallic glass forming liquids, revealing it is constant near Tg and linked to atomic translational diffusion, offering new insights into the glass transition.

Contribution

It provides a quantitative model connecting excess specific heat to atomic translational diffusion in metallic glasses, a novel understanding in the field.

Findings

Excess specific heat is constant near Tg in metallic glasses.

Atomic translational diffusion explains the excess specific heat.

The model applies to Pd40Ni10Cu30P20 metallic glass forming liquid.

Abstract

We report excess specific heat in a series of metallic glass forming liquids. It is found that the excess specific heat relative to glass at glass transition temperature Tg is constant and close to, where R is gas constant. In the typical Pd40Ni10Cu30P20 metallic glass forming liquid, the excess specific heat is independent of temperature. A quantitative description of the excess specific heat is built up. The atomic translational diffusion is the origin of the excess specific heat. The results provide a fundamental understanding to the glass transition in metallic glasses.