Light-scattering measurements have been made on optical-quality glass before and after annealing. Small-angle scattering in both specimens indicates the existence of long-range correlations in refractive index of order several hundred nanometres. In addition, wide-angle scatter demonstrates the existence of shorter-range (a few nanometres) correlation distances. All of our observations have been consistent with Goodman's strained mixed cluster model of glasses (1975, 1977). It is shown that the amplitude of the fluctuations is insufficient to support the explanation of the low-temperature (<1K) thermal conductivity of glasses in terms of structural scattering of phonons.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.