From atomic vibrations to laboratory mechanics: Bridging 20 orders of magnitude in time
Scientists have developed a theoretical framework that bridges the gap between atomic-scale vibrations and macroscopic mechanical properties in polymers like PMMA. By connecting data from molecular simulations to laboratory testing, they can now predict material behavior across 20 orders of magnitude in time.
Why it matters
This breakthrough allows for more accurate material design and engineering by predicting how polymers respond to stress across vastly different timescales.
edited by Lisa Lock , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add as preferred source From atomic vibrations to laboratory mechanics. The graph shows how a single atomistic theory (red line) predicts the mechanical stiffness of PMMA across roughly 20 orders of magnitude in frequency. The prediction connects measurements made using very different techniques—from slow mechanical testing (DMA) to Brillouin light scattering and, at the fastest scales, molecular-dynamics simulations—providing a bridge between everyday mechanical timescales and atomic motion. Credit: The Journal of Chemical Physics (2026). DOI: 10.1063/5.0332872 How can we predict the way a real material, such as a polymer, responds mechanically over timescales ranging from the ultrafast motion of atoms to the slow deformations measured in a laboratory? This is a deceptively difficult problem.
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