André Guinier: Local order in condensed matter

Publication date: Available online 9 April 2019Source: Comptes Rendus PhysiqueAuthor(s): Jean-Paul Pouget, Anne-Marie Levelut, Jean-François SadocAbstractThis contribution is a tribute to André Guinier and to the scientific school he created. We show how his thesis work allowed one to develop new X-ray scattering techniques of investigation of matter both at small and large scattering Bragg angles. In parallel to his pioneering experimental work, André Guinier introduced a well-adapted formalism allowing a precise characterization of various types of local order in the matter. These findings, which have been extended by his own students, have seed an “X-ray scattering” school of international reputation, which remains very active today. Here, we cover in detail the birth of this school from 1940 to 1980. Then, we outline the evolution of researches of the team he founded at the “Laboratoire de physique des solides” of Paris-Sud University until the beginning of the 21st century, when investigations using synchrotron radiation have revolutionized the study of the structure of the matter.RésuméCette contribution est un hommage à André Guinier et à l'école scientifique qu'il a créée. Nous montrons comment son travail de thèse a permis de développer de nouvelles méthodes d'étude de la matière par diffusion des rayons X aux petits et grands angles de Bragg. En parallèle à ce travail expérimental novateur, André Guinier a introduit un formalisme adapté,...
Source: Comptes Rendus Physique - Category: Physics Source Type: research