Dynamic structure factor
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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,ω) where q (also k) is a wave vector (a wave number for isotropic materials), and ω a frequency (sometimes understood as energy ℏ ω). It is the spatial and temporal Fourier transform of van Hove's time-dependent pair correlation function G(r,t).
Further Reading
- L. van Hove, Correlations in Space and Time ..., Phys. Rev. 95, 249 (1954).