ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION rhe atomic structure of rapidly solidified alloys tends to be quite distinct fro m the .tructure of alloys in equilibrium: they are often in a metastable noncrysta lline .tate, such as the amorphous and quasicrysta ll ine state. Characterization and de-.cription of these noncrystalline structures is an in teresting and challenging problem vhich requires specialized equipments and theore tical knowledge beyond those equired for crystalline solids. Owing largely to the recent advances in the expermentaJ methods , such as the advent of synchrotron radiation and pulsed neutron .ources , the structure of noncrystalline solids is now dete rmined with an accuracy 1igh enough to allow discussion of various st ructure-properties re lationships. At he same time. some progress has been made in theore tical understanding of these rery complex systems. In this chapter we first review the experimenta l methods of tructural analysis available today, then proceed to the description of the structure >f quasicrystall ine and amorphous alloys . and conclude with a discussion of the :ffects of atomic short-range order on the phy ical properties of amo rphous alloys.
