RESULTS FROM AN UNBIASED ANALYSIS OF NEARLY 1000 SETS OF RELAXATION DATA

Approximately 1000 sets of experimental data were analyzed using unbiased statistical methods and the relaxation function commonly referred to as the Havriliak-Negami (H-N) function. In addition most theoretical time-dependent correlation functions were also analyzed using these methods. A plot of H-N parameters, alpha, against log(beta) yields a scatter of points in this plane that do not neatly separate into regions according to material type. In other words, there is significant overlap of the following class of materials: alpha and beta processes of polymers, or polar liquids. These results art discussed in terms of Jonscher's universality concept. Except for the Mansfield model, all other theoretical time-dependent correlation functions are lines in this plane, hence they do not represent to any significant extent the experimental data. The Mansfield model covers only a small area in this plot. The experimental results are discussed in terms of modifying the perturbation term of the Hamiltonian to include a strain energy term.