Evidence for dynamic heterogeneities in computer simulations of miscible polymer blends

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Abstract
The controversial origins of the unusual dynamics of miscible polymer blends are incisively probed through computer simulations. The distribution of mobilities experienced by a probe monomer in a miscible blend of chains with disparate glass transition temperatures is found to be much broader than in the pure polymers, providing clear evidence for local concentration variations in the mixture. These concentration fluctutations yield distinctly different temperature dependences for the dynamics of the two different components, in a manner that closely mimics experiments.