Mutual information reveals multiple structural relaxation mechanisms in a model glass former.

ABSTRACT: Among the key challenges to our understanding of solidification in the glass transition is that it is accompanied by little apparent change in structure. Recently, geometric motifs have been identified in glassy liquids, but a causal link between these motifs and solidification remains elusive. One 'smoking gun' for such a link would be identical scaling of structural and dynamic lengthscales on approaching the glass transition, but this is highly controversial. Here we introduce an information theoretic approach to determine correlations in displacement for particle relaxation encoded in the initial configuration of a glass-forming liquid. We uncover two populations of particles, one inclined to relax quickly, the other slowly. Each population is correlated with local density and geometri

SUBMITTER: Dunleavy AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4354007 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature