Date of Award

12-2007

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Physics

First Advisor

Dr. Clement Burns

Second Advisor

Dr. Pnina Ari-Gur

Third Advisor

Dr. Sung Chung

Fourth Advisor

Dr. Arthur McGurn

Abstract

This work has two parts. In the first part, inelastic x-ray scattering was used to measure the plasmon excitations in liquid lithium ammonia systems. The measurements were carried out for different metal concentrations, 8 mole per metal (MPM), 10 MPM, 11 MPM, 16 MPM and 20 MPM of temperature 200K. The data were analyzed to determine the plasmon energy and the linewidth as a function of momentum for each metal concentration. Deviations from the random phase approximation (RPA) in the jellium model increase as the concentration is lowered.

In the second part of this work, elastic x-ray scattering was used to measure the structure of quenched sodium ammonia mixtures at different concentrations (0 MPM, 3 MPM, 6 MPM, 9 MPM, 12 MPM and 15 MPM). An amorphous structure is found in quenched sodium ammonia systems and its properties are discussed.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

Included in

Physics Commons

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