No Arabic abstract
Isotropic pair potentials that are bounded at the origin have been proposed from time to time as models of the effective interaction between macromolecules of interest in the chemical physics of soft matter. We present a thorough study of the phase behavior of point particles interacting through a potential which combines a bounded short-range repulsion with a much weaker attraction at moderate distances, both of Gaussian shape. Notwithstanding the fact that the attraction acts as a small perturbation of the Gaussian-core model potential, the phase diagram of the double-Gaussian model (DGM) is far richer, showing two fluid phases and four distinct solid phases in the case that we have studied. Using free-energy calculations, the various regions of confluence of three distinct phases in the DGM system have all been characterized in detail. Moreover, two distinct lines of reentrant melting are found, and for each of them a rationale is provided in terms of the elastic properties of the solid phases.
We investigate the phase behaviour of a system of particles interacting through the exp-6 pair potential, a model interaction that is appropriate to describe effective interatomic forces under high compression. The soft-repulsive component of the potential is being varied so as to study the effect on reentrant melting and density anomaly. Upon increasing the repulsion softness, we find that the anomalous melting features persist and occur at smaller pressures. Moreover, if we reduce the range of downward concavity in the potential by extending the hard core at the expenses of the soft-repulsive shoulder, the reentrant part of the melting line reduces in extent so as it does the region of density anomaly.
Pair potentials that are bounded at the origin provide an accurate description of the effective interaction for many systems of dissolved soft macromolecules (e.g., flexible dendrimers). Using numerical free-energy calculations, we reconstruct the equilibrium phase diagram of a system of particles interacting through a potential that brings together a Gaussian repulsion with a much weaker Gaussian attraction, close to the thermodynamic stability threshold. Compared to the purely-repulsive model, only the reentrant branch of the melting line survives, since for lower densities solidification is overridden by liquid-vapor separation. As a result, the phase diagram of the system recalls that of water up to moderate (i.e., a few tens MPa) pressures. Upon superimposing a suitable hard core on the double-Gaussian potential, a further transition to a more compact solid phase is induced at high pressure, which might be regarded as the analog of the ice I to ice III transition in water.
We examine the collective states of run-and-tumble active matter disks driven over a periodic obstacle array. When the drive is applied along a symmetry direction of the array, we find a clog-free uniform liquid state for low activity, while at higher activity, the density becomes increasingly heterogeneous and an active clogged state emerges in which the mobility is strongly reduced. For driving along non-symmetry or incommensurate directions, there are two different clogging behaviors consisting of a drive dependent clogged state in the low activity thermal limit and a drive independent clogged state at high activity. These regimes are separated by a uniform flowing liquid at intermediate activity. There is a critical activity level above which the thermal clogged state does not occur, as well as an optimal activity level that maximizes the disk mobility. Thermal clogged states are dependent on the driving direction while active clogged states are not. In the low activity regime, diluting the obstacles produces a monotonic increase in the mobility; however, for large activities, the mobility is more robust against obstacle dilution. We also examine the velocity-force curves for driving along non-symmetry directions, and find that they are linear when the activity is low or intermediate, but become nonlinear at high activity and show behavior similar to that found for the plastic depinning of solids. At higher drives the active clustering is lost. For low activity we also find a reentrant fluid phase, where the system transitions from a high mobility fluid at low drives to a clogged state at higher drives and then back into another fluid phase at very high drives. We map the regions in which the thermally clogged, partially clogged, active uniform fluid, clustered fluid, active clogged, and directionally locked states occur as a function of disk density, drift force, and activity.
We present a theoretical study of transport properties of a liquid comprised of particles uist1:/home/sokrates/egorov/oldhome/Pap41/Submit > m abs.tex We present a theoretical study of transport properties of a liquid comprised of particles interacting via Gaussian Core pair potential. Shear viscosity and self-diffusion coefficient are computed on the basis of the mode-coupling theory, with required structural input obtained from integral equation theory. Both self-diffusion coefficient and viscosity display anomalous density dependence, with diffusivity increasing and viscosity decreasing with density within a particular density range along several isotherms below a certain temperature. Our theoretical results for both transport coefficients are in good agreement with the simulation data.
We study the melting of a double stranded DNA in the presence of stretching forces, via 3D Monte-Carlo simulations, exactly solvable models and heuristic arguments. The resulting force-temperature phase diagram is dramatically different for the cases where the force is applied to only one strand or to both. Different assumptions on the monomer size of single and double stranded DNA lead to opposite conclusions as to whether DNA melts or not as it overstretches.