Dynamic structure factor

In condensed matter physics, the dynamic structure factor is mathematical function that contains rich information about inter-particle correlations and their time evolution. Experimentally, it can be accessed most directly by [[inelastic neutron scattering].

The dynamic structure factor is most often denoted S(q,&omega) where q (also k) is a wave vector (a wave number for isotropic materials), and ω a frequency (sometimes understood as energy ℏω). It is the spatial and temporal Fourier transform of van Hove's time-dependent pair correlation function G(r,t).

References

• L. van Hove, Correlations in Space and Time ..., Phys. Rev. 95, 249 (1954).
• any textbook on neutron scattering, e.g. Marshall/Lovesey or Squires.