Dynamic criticality in glass-forming liquids

Preprint

9 October 2003

preprint
Published by arXiv in arXiv

Abstract

We propose that the dynamics of supercooled liquids and the formation of glasses can be understood from the existence of a zero temperature dynamical critical point. To support our proposal, we derive from simple physical assumptions a dynamic field theory for supercooled liquids, which we study using the renormalization group (RG). Its long time behaviour is dominated by a zero temperature critical point, which for dimensions d > 2 belongs to the directed percolation universality class. Molecular dynamics simulations confirm the existence of dynamic scaling behaviour consistent with the RG predictions.

Keywords

SUPERCOOLED LIQUIDS
DYNAMICAL CRITICAL
MOLECULAR DYNAMICS
ZERO TEMPERATURE
FORMING LIQUIDS
CRITICAL POINT
GLASS FORMING
GLASSES

All Related Versions

Version 1, 2003-10-09, ArXiv
Version 2, 2004-05-07, ArXiv
Published version: Physical Review Letters, 92 (18), 185705.

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