Responses of the diffuse transmitted light intensity and the current passing through an electrorheological suspension to the stepwise electric field were measured in the quiescent state, and the time scales for the structural formation of the polarized particles were reported. It was found experimentally that both of the responses consist of plural modes, the faster and slower modes even in the quiescent state. The optical response was also expressed as an exponential function with two modes, which take place in succession.

• Received 1 May 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.62.5378