The glass transition

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The glass transition is familiar to glass makers and can be observed in everyday experiences, such as the drying of chewing gum. A liquid melt or rubber transforms into a solid glass when cooled or when a solvent is removed, without crystallization. This process involves dynamic effects; the viscosity of a liquid decreases at high temperatures but rises dramatically as it approaches the glass temperature, increasing by about fifteen orders of magnitude. The significance of the glass transition is immense, with practical knowledge essential for glass and plastic technologies now widely accessible. However, a challenge remains: despite the surge in glass transition research, with hundreds of papers published annually in prestigious journals, those outside the field often struggle to grasp the core issues. A 1995 ranking in Science magazine identified the glass transition as one of six major physical quests, alongside other significant scientific inquiries. Within the community, researchers are also divided over which questions regarding slow dynamics in cold liquids are most critical, complicating the understanding of the glass transition further.