Temperature cycling during the aging of a polymer glass

Temperature cycling is used to study of aging properties of PMMA dielectric constant. If a negative temperature cycle is applied during the aging time the relaxation dynamics is just delayed for a time equal to the cycle period. In contrast this time shifting procedure cannot be applied to positive temperature cycles . The analogies and differences with similar experiments done in other aging systems, such as spin glasses, orientational glasses and supercooled liquids, are discussed.