MICROSCOPIC DYNAMICS IN GLYCEROL - A KEY TO UNDERSTANDING SOME ASPECTS OF ITS RELAXATIONAL BEHAVIOR

The onset of relaxational (i.e., stochastic, zero-frequency) motions i n the supercooled liquid phase of glycerol is monitored by means of ne utron quasielastic scattering. In common with previous reports, the ob served linewidths are well in excess of the hydrodynamic prediction ev en at relatively low momentum transfers. The microscopic mechanism lea ding to such a deviation is discussed, taking recent crystal dynamics results as a reference.