The application of deconvolution techniques to dielectric data

Abstract

The viability of a deconvolution procedure for the analysis of dielectric data is examined. A deconvolution procedure is applied to the complex permittivity ϵ(v) in order to derive a distribution function G(v) which represents the molecular processes occurring in solution. It is shown that with test data, subject to the normal experimental error, the deconvolution technique can be used to resolve a double dispersion for G(v), which is not evident from the experimental results. The deconvolution procedure does not require a model for the number of dispersions, unlike the least-squares-fitting methods which require a model for G(v) and the implicit assumption of the number of dispersions. The effect of a limited number of experimental points, each subject to error, taken over a finite frequency range on the distribution function G(v) is investigated, with particular reference to minimizing the possibility of spurious information in G(v).