“Defect”-induced heat flow and shear modulus relaxation in a metallic glass

Calorimetric and shear modulus measurements on bulk glassy Pd40Ni40P20 are performed. The obtained data is used for the calculation of structural relaxation-induced heat flow within the framework of the Interstitialcy theory. A good correspondence between the calculated and experimental heat release and absorption both below and above Tg is found. It is concluded that a description based on the population of “defect” states that are similar to dumbbell interstitials is capable to correctly describe the observed heat flow.