X-ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (XPCS) is a novel technique which reveals the slow dynamics of equilibrium and non-equilibrium processes in condensed matter systems. A group led by Professor N. P. Balsara (University of California, Berkeley, USA) has recently published research on a polystyrene-polyisoprene block copolymer melt in the vicinity of the order-disorder transition. The group combined several techniques in addition to XPCS; time-resolved small angle X-ray scattering and rheology. During their studies of ordering kinetics, it was found that two qualitatively different regimes exist, i.e., shallow and deep quench regimes, respectively. For more information, see the paper, "Dynamic signatures of microphase separation in a block copolymer melt determined by X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy and rheology", A. J. Patel et al., Macromolecules, Article ASAP (DOI: 10.1021/ma902343m).
