LOW-FREQUENCY DIELECTRIC FLUCTUATIONS NEAR THE GLASS-TRANSITION

The temperature and frequency dependence of thermal electric polarizat ion noise mas investigated in glycerol at and below the glass transiti on temperature. Polarization fluctuations mere observed via voltage no ise which was produced within a sample capacitance cell in equilibrium . The high sensitivity and accuracy of the technique provides a useful probe of dynamics in low-loss regimes of various dielectric materials . Noise spectra exhibit a 1/f(gamma) power law form at lower temperatu res just below the glass transition, where the noise also exhibits unu sual aging effects. The spectral exponent decreases with temperature, extrapolating to 1.0, i.e. 1/f noise, at a critical temperature where the noise magnitude extrapolates to a non-zero value. The results supp ort the possibility that a glassy phase transition occurs in the stati c limit.