INELASTIC X-RAY-SCATTERING - A NEW TECHNIQUE FOR STUDYING DYNAMICS INLIQUIDS

Inelastic x-ray scattering with an energy resolution of the order of m eV is a young method that is proving to be an excellent tool for inves tigating collective excitations in condensed matter. The high energy r esolution can be achieved by extreme backreflection (Bragg angle close to 90-degrees) from perfect crystals. This technique is used on the i nstrument INELAX for inelastic scattering experiments at DORIS, DESY H amburg. Energy transfers from a few meV up to 5 eV for any wavevector between 0.3 angstrom-1 and 14 angstrom-1 are accessible. One of the su ccessful applications of this method is the investigation of the dynam ical structure factor of liquids. Results on liquid lithium are presen ted and compared with neutron data and molecular dynamics.