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Updated: Nov 25, 2025

Study of Protein Dynamics via Neutron Spin Echo Spectroscopy
Published on: April 13, 2022
Dynamics of polystyrene probed by muon spin spectroscopy
Iain McKenzie1,2,3, Danaan Cordoni-Jordan4, Joseph Cannon5
1Centre for Molecular and Material Science, TRIUMF, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A3, Canada.
Abstract:
Muon spin spectroscopic measurements were made on atactic low-molecular-weight (LMW) (1.3 kg mol-1) and high-molecular-weight (HMW) (202 kg mol-1) polystyrene. Muoniated cyclohexadienyl radicals, which are formed by muonium addition to the phenyl side groups, are used as local probes of bulk dynamics. Muon spin relaxation is caused by the secondary γ-relaxation process, which involves motion of the phenyl rings, and is sensitive to the glass transition. The activation energy of the γ-relaxation process in the rubbery state is 0.60(2) eV in the HMW sample and 0.37(3) eV in the LMW sample.
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