No Arabic abstract
Normal dynamics in a quasi-one-dimensional channel of length L (toinfty) of N hard spheres are analyzed. The spheres are heterogeneous: each has a diffusion coefficient D that is drawn from a probability density function (PDF), W D^(-{gamma}), for small D, where 0leq{gamma}<1. The initial spheres density {rho} is non-uniform and scales with the distance (from the origin) l as, {rho} l^(-a), 0leqaleq1. An approximation for the N-particle PDF for this problem is derived. From this solution, scaling law analysis and numerical simulations, we show here that the mean square displacement for a particle in such a system obeys, <r^2>~t^(1-{gamma})/(2c-{gamma}), where c=1/(1+a). The PDF of the tagged particle is Gaussian in position. Generalizations of these results are considered.
Sticky hard spheres, i.e., hard particles decorated with a short-ranged attractive interaction potential, constitute a relatively simple model with highly non-trivial glassy dynamics. The mode-coupling theory of the glass transition (MCT) offers a qualitative account of the complex reentrant dynamics of sticky hard spheres, but the predicted glass transition point is notoriously underestimated. Here we apply an improved first-principles-based theory, referred to as generalized mode-coupling theory (GMCT), to sticky hard spheres. This theoretical framework seeks to go beyond MCT by hierarchically expanding the dynamics in higher-order density correlation functions -- an approach that may become exact if sufficiently many correlations are taken into account. We predict the phase diagrams from the first few levels of the GMCT hierarchy and the dynamics-related critical exponents, all of which are much closer to the empirical observations than MCT. Notably, the prominent reentrant glassy dynamics, the glass-glass transition, and the higher-order bifurcation singularity classes ($A_3$ and $A_4$) of sticky hard spheres are found to be preserved within GMCT at arbitrary order. Moreover, we demonstrate that when the hierarchical order of GMCT increases, the effect of the short-ranged attractive interactions becomes more evident in the dynamics. This implies that GMCT is more sensitive to subtle microstructural differences than MCT, and that the framework provides a promising first-principles approach to systematically go beyond the MCT regime.
The analysis of the dynamics of tracer particles in a complex bath can provide valuable information about the microscopic behaviour of the bath. In this work, we study the dynamics of a forced tracer in a colloidal bath by means of Langevin dynamics simulations and a theory model within continuum mechanics. In the simulations, the bath is comprised by quasi-hard spheres with a volume fraction of 50% immersed in a featureless quiescent solvent, and the tracer is pulled with a constant small force (within the linear regime). The theoretical analysis is based on the Navier Stokes equation, where a term proportional to the velocity arises from coarse-graining the friction of the colloidal particles with the solvent. As a result, the final equation is similar to the Brinkman model, although the interpretation is different. A length scale appears in the model, 1/k_0, where the transverse momentum transport crosses over to friction with the solvent. The effective friction coefficient experienced by the tracer grows with the tracer size faster than the prediction from Stokes law. Additionally, the velocity profiles in the bath decay faster than in a Newtonian fluid. The comparison between simulations and theory points to a boundary condition of effective partial slip at the tracer surface. We also study the fluctuations in the tracer position, showing that it reaches diffusion at long times, with a subdiffusive regime at intermediate times. The diffusion coefficient, obtained from the long-time slope of the mean squared displacement, fulfills the Stokes-Einstein relation with the friction coefficient calculated from the steady tracer velocity, confirming the validity of the linear response formalism.
The smallest maximum kissing-number Voronoi polyhedron of 3d spheres is the icosahedron and the tetrahedron is the smallest volume that can show up in Delaunay tessalation. No periodic lattice is consistent with either and hence these dense packings are geometrically frustrated. Because icosahedra can be assembled from almost perfect tetrahedra, the terms icosahedral and polytetrahedral packing are often used interchangeably, which leaves the true origin of geometric frustration unclear. Here we report a computational study of freezing of 4d hard spheres, where the densest Voronoi cluster is compatible with the symmetry of the densest crystal, while polytetrahedral order is not. We observe that, under otherwise comparable conditions, crystal nucleation in 4d is less facile than in 3d. This suggest that it is the geometrical frustration of polytetrahedral structures that inhibits crystallization.
The transient response of model hard sphere glasses is examined during the application of steady rate start-up shear using Brownian Dynamics (BD) simulations, experimental rheology and confocal microscopy. With increasing strain the glass initially exhibits an almost linear elastic stress increase, a stress peak at the yield point and then reaches a constant steady state. The stress overshoot has a non-monotonic dependence with Peclet number, Pe, and volume fraction, {phi}, determined by the available free volume and a competition between structural relaxation and shear advection. Examination of the structural properties under shear revealed an increasing anisotropic radial distribution function, g(r), mostly in the velocity - gradient (xy) plane, which decreases after the stress peak with considerable anisotropy remaining in the steady-state. Low rates minimally distort the structure, while high rates show distortion with signatures of transient elongation. As a mechanism of storing energy, particles are trapped within a cage distorted more than Brownian relaxation allows, while at larger strains, stresses are relaxed as particles are forced out of the cage due to advection. Even in the steady state, intermediate super diffusion is observed at high rates and is a signature of the continuous breaking and reformation of cages under shear.
We study propagation dynamics of a particle phase in a single-file pore connected to a reservoir of particles (bulk liquid phase). We show that the total mass $M(t)$ of particles entering the pore up to time $t$ grows as $M(t) = 2 m(J,rho_F) sqrt{D_0 t}$, where $D_0$ is the bare diffusion coefficient and the prefactor $m(J,rho_F)$ is a non-trivial function of the reservoir density $rho_F$ and the amplitude $J$ of attractive particle-particle interactions. Behavior of the dynamic density profiles is also discussed.