Ergodic-nonergodic glass transition and enthalpy relaxation of a supercooled liquid [Ca(NO3)2]0.4(KNO3)0.6

Abstract

The nonstationary enthalpy relaxation associated with the ergodicity-breaking glass transition as well as the dynamic specific heat, which characterizes the dynamics of the system in equilibrium, were investigated for a supercooled liquid [Ca(${\mathrm{NO}}_3$ ${)}_2$ ${]}_{0.4}$(${\mathrm{KNO}}_3$ ${)}_{0.6}$. Dynamic specific-heat data show that serial decoupling of various relaxing modes does not occur in the glass transition region. It is demonstrated that the nonstationary enthalpy relaxation in the ergodic-nonergodic glass transition is accountable in terms of the equilibrium relaxation function if the latter is properly extended.