Brillouin spectroscopy probes the thermally generated pressure fluctuations (sound waves) which propagate in a material. The resulting information on sound velocity and absorption provides a fast and efficient method of monitoring high frequency (GHz) dynamics in the system being studied. In certain cases, structural information may also be inferred from changes in the Brillouin spectrum as a function of temperature, pressure or composition (in the case of multi-component systems). The aim of the work presented in this thesis was to integrate Brillouin spectroscopy into current soft condensed matter research projects at Edinburgh, namely (i) hydration in methanol-water mixtures and (ii) the behaviour of hard-sphere colloidal dispersions. A Brillouin spectrometer based on a Fabry-Perot interferometer was developed and tested, resulting in a high-resolution instrument operating at variable scattering vector (exchanged momentum), temperature and pressure. The technical aspects of this work were carried out in collaboration with a colleague. Data analysis routines were designed and implemented, enabling calibrated Brillouin spectra to be produced automatically from raw experimental data. Excellent agreement with results on several materials studied in the literature confirmed the accuracy and sensitivity of the spectrometer. The molecular details of hydration in methanol-water mixtures are of great interest due to the prototypical amphiphilic nature of the methanol molecule. The effect of deep cooling on the Brillouin spectrum across a wide range of methanol concentrations was studied in detail, resulting in the first observation of an anomalous increase in sound velocity and maximum in sound absorption at intermediate compositions. A similar effect was then found at higher temperature in aqueous tertiary butanol, and was identified in a brief survey of several other aqueous solutions. High pressure Brillouin spectra indicate that this anomalous behaviour may also be present in pure water. It is suggested that these novel effects may be due to the presence of a relatively unperturbed water structure in the aqueous solutions studied, even at quite high solute concentration. Preliminary results from a neutron diffraction experiment performed on a 40% by mass methanol-water mixture were consistent with this hypothesis. Brillouin spectroscopy was also used to study the propagation of high frequency sound in monodisperse colloidal suspensions of sub-micron hard spheres. A second longitudinal sound mode was observed for scattering vectors of magnitude greater than pi/d where d is the diameter of the spheres. These results are the first reproduction and extension of the pioneering work in the field, which identified the additional mode with a surface acoustic excitation, propagating between adjacent spheres via an evanescent wave in the solvent. The new results show that the second mode is extinguished at a particular scattering vector - an effect not reported previously. It is suggested that this extinction is due to the minimum in the form factor for elastic scattering from a single sphere.

Elastic properties of the major constituent minerals in the Earth’s upper mantle at relevant high pressure-temperature (P-T) conditions are crucial for understanding the composition and seismic velocity structures of the region. In this study, we have measured the single-crystal elasticity of natural Fe-bearing pyrope, Mg2.04Fe0.74Ca0.16Mn0.05Al2Si3O12, using in situ Brillouin spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction at simultaneous high P-T conditions up to 20 GPa and 750 K in an externally-heated diamond anvil cell. The derived aggregate adiabatic bulk and shear modulus (KS0, G0) at ambient conditions are 168.2 (±1.8) GPa and 92.1 (±1.1) GPa, respectively, consistent with literature results. Using the third-order Eulerian finite-strain equation to fit the high P-T data, the derived pressure derivative of the bulk and shear moduli at constant temperature are (∂KS/∂P)T=4.4 (±0.1) and (∂G/∂P)T=1.2 (±0.1), respectively. Applying these pressure derivatives, the temperature derivative of these moduli at constant pressure are also calculated, yielding (∂KS/∂T)P=-18.5(±1.3) MPa/K and (∂G/∂T)P=-5.2(±1.1) MPa/K, respectively. Compared to literature values, our results show that addition of 25% Fe in pyrope increases the pressure derivative of the bulk modulus by 7%, but has a negligible effect on other elastic parameters. Extrapolation of our results shows that Fe-bearing pyrope remains almost elastically isotropic at relevant P-T conditions of the upper mantle, indicating that it may not have a significant contribution to seismic Vp and Vs anisotropy in the upper mantle. Together with the elasticity of olivine and pyroxene minerals in the upper mantle, we have constructed new velocity profiles for two representative compositional models, pyrolite and piclogite, along Earth’s upper mantle geotherm. These velocity models show Vs profiles consistent with seismic observations, although Vp profiles are slightly lower than in seismic models. / text

Nous étudions la réponse élastoplastique des verres silicatés à de fortes contraintes par diffusion Brillouin de la lumière. Des cartographies micro-Brillouin 3D du champ de densité résiduelle sont obtenues dans l'empreinte plastique laissée par une indentation Vickers et comparés à des modélisations par éléments finis. L'analyse conjointe des mesures réalisées en enclumes diamants sur la silice dans le domaine de déformation élastique et des données de la littérature fait apparaître que le durcissement anormal des modules élastiques avec la température est d'origine dynamique. La température à laquelle le durcissement est mis en évidence augmente avec la pression hydrostatique appliquée. Nous observons également que la densification progressive de la silice diminue fortement l'amplitude du maximum dans le frottement interne observé à 2 GPa de même qu'elle supprime l'anomalie dans la compressibilité. / We study the elastoplastic response of silicate glasses at high stresses with Brillouin light scattering. 3D micro-Brillouin mapping residual density field are obtained in the plastic region left by a Vickers indentation. Maps are compared with finite element modeling. The joint analysis of new high-pressure measurements in a diamond anvil cell on silica in the elastic domain and literature data revealed that the abnormal hardening of elastic moduli with temperature is of dynamical origin. The onset temperature of the hardening increases with increasing applied hydrostatic pressure. We also observe that densification of silica strongly reduces the amplitude of the maximum in internal friction observed at 2 GPa as well as it suppresses the compressibility anomaly.

Nous présentons une étude in situ du verre de silice v-SiO2 sous pression hydrostatique de gaz rares par spectroscopie Brillouin et Raman. Les échantillons sont pressurisés avec de l'hélium, du néon et de l'argon dans une cellule à enclume de diamant, dans la gamme 0 - 8 GPa. Les atomes d'hélium et de néon pénètrent dans la structure du verre sous pression. On estime qu'environ un atome d'hélium par tétraèdre SiO4 et qu'environ deux fois moins dans le cas du néon sont adsorbés à 6 GPa. Les modules de compression et de cisaillement en fonction de la pression de fluide sont obtenus à partir des mesures des vitesses acoustiques longitudinales et transverses. L'anomalie de comportement du module de compression de v-SiO2 (minimum à 2 GPa) est supprimée par l'adsorption de He et de Ne, les réarrangements structuraux liés à cette anomalie étant empêchés parl'occupation des sites interstitiels par les atomes d'hélium et de néon. En présence d'hélium et de néon, l'équation d'état V (P) ne permet pas de retrouver le module de compression car la silice se comporte comme un milieu poreux ouvert. La simulation Monte-Carlo des isothermes d'adsorption combinée à la théorie généralisée de la poromécanique permet de décrire les déformations volumiques et les quantités de fluide adsorbées en accord avec les résultats expérimentaux. Dans le cas du néon, la cinétique d'adsorption-désorption est observée par spectroscopie Brillouin. Les spectres Raman VV et VH de v-SiO2 ont été mesurés en fonction de la pression de fluide. La réduction de la distribution des angles Si–O–Si est empêchée par l'insertion d'hélium. / We present an in situ study of vitreous silica v-SiO2 under hydrostatic noble gases pressure by Brillouin and Raman spectroscopy. Samples are pressurized in helium, neon and argon in a diamond anvil cell, in the range 0 - 8 GPa. Helium and neon atoms penetrate in the pressurized glass structure. We estimate that about one atom of helium per SiO4 tetrahedron and about half in the neon case are adsorbed at 6 GPa. Bulk and shear moduli as a function of fluid pressure are obtained from measurements of the longitudinal and transverse acoustic velocities. The behaviour anomaly of the bulk modulus of v-SiO2 (minimum at 2 GPa) is suppressed by He and Ne adsorption, structural rearrangements associated with this anomaly being prevented by the occupation of interstitial sites by helium and neon atoms. In the presence of helium and neon, the V(P) equation of state does not allow to recover bulk modulus because silica behaves like an open porous medium. Monte-Carlo simulation of adsorption isotherms combined with the generalized theory of poromechanics allows to describe volume deformations and adsorbed fluid amount in agreement with experimental results. In the neon case, adsorption-desorption kinetics is observed by Brillouin spectroscopy. Measurements of VV and VH Raman spectra of v-SiO2 are made as function of fluid pressure. The reduction of Si–O–Si angles distribution is prevented by the insertion of helium.