Phase-Separation Perspective on Dynamic Heterogeneities in Glass-Forming Liquids

We study dynamic heterogeneities in a model glass former whose overlap with a reference configuration is constrained to a fixed value. We find that the system phase separates into regions of small and large overlap, indicating that a nonzero surface tension plays an important role in the formation o...

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Autores principales: Cammarota, Chiara, Cavagna, Andrea, Giardina, Irene, Gradenigo, Giacomo, Grigera, Tomás Sebastián, Parisi, Giorgio, Verrocchio, Paolo
Formato: Articulo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2010
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Acceso en línea:http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/126356
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Sumario:We study dynamic heterogeneities in a model glass former whose overlap with a reference configuration is constrained to a fixed value. We find that the system phase separates into regions of small and large overlap, indicating that a nonzero surface tension plays an important role in the formation of dynamical heterogeneities. We calculate an appropriate thermodynamic potential and find evidence of a Maxwell construction consistent with a spinodal decomposition of two phases. Our results suggest that even in standard, unconstrained systems dynamic heterogeneities are the expression of an ephemeral phase-separating regime ruled by a finite surface tension.