Search results for "Condensed Matter - Soft Condensed Matter"
showing 10 items of 364 documents
To make a glass—avoid the crystal
2016
Colloidal model systems allow for a flexible tuning of particle sizes, particle spacings and mutual interactions at constant temperature. Colloidal suspensions typically crystallize as soon as the interactions get sufficiently strong and long-ranged. Several strategies have been successfully applied to avoid crystallization and instead produce colloidal glasses. Most of these amorphous solids are formed at high particle concentrations. This paper shortly reviews experimental attempts to produce amorphous colloidal solids using strategies based on topological, thermodynamic and kinetic considerations. We complement this overview by introducing a (transient) amorphous solid forming in a thoro…
Mode-coupling theory for multiple decay channels
2013
We investigate the properties of a class of mode-coupling equations for the glass transition where the density mode decays into multiple relaxation channels. We prove the existence and uniqueness of the solutions for Newtonian as well as Brownian dynamics and demonstrate that they fulfill the requirements of correlation functions, in the latter case the solutions are purely relaxational. Furthermore, we construct an effective mode-coupling functional which allows to map the theory to the case of a single decay channel, such that the covariance principle found for the mode-coupling theory for simple liquids is properly generalized. This in turn allows establishing the maximum theorem stating…
Coupling theory for counterion distributions based in Tsallis statistics
2003
It is well known that the Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) equation yields the exact counterion density around charged objects in the weak coupling limit. In this paper we generalize the PB approach to account for coupling of arbitrary strength by making use of Tsallis q-exponential distributions. Both the weak coupling and the strong coupling limits are reproduced. For arbitrary coupling we also provide simple analytical expressions which are compared to recent Monte Carlo simulations by A. G. Moreira and R. R. Netz [Europhys. Lett. 52 (2000) 705]. Excellent agreement with these is obtained.
Glassy behavior of molecular crystals: A comparison between results from MD-simulation and mode coupling theory
2005
We have investigated the glassy behavior of a molecular crystal built up with chloroadamantane molecules. For a simple model of this molecule and a rigid fcc lattice a MD simulation was performed from which we obtained the dynamical orientational correlators $S_{\lambda \lambda '}({\bf{q}},t)$ and the ``self'' correlators $S_{\lambda \lambda '}^{(s)}(t)$, with $\lambda = (\ell, m)$, $\lambda' = (\ell', m')$. Our investigations are for the diagonal correlators $\lambda = \lambda'$. Since the lattice constant decreases with decreasing temperature which leads to an increase of the steric hindrance of the molecules, we find a strong slowing down of the relaxation. It has a high sensitivity on $…
Disordered hyperuniformity in superconducting vortex lattices
2020
Particles occupying sites of a random lattice present density fluctuations at all length scales. It has been proposed that increasing interparticle interactions reduces long range density fluctuations, deviating from random behaviour. This leads to power laws in the structure factor and the number variance that can be used to characterize deviations from randomness which eventually lead to disordered hyperuniformity. It is not yet fully clear how to link density fluctuations with interactions in a disordered hyperuniform system. Interactions between superconducting vortices are very sensitive to vortex pinning, to the crystal structure of the superconductor and to the value of the magnetic …
Soliton staircases and standing strain waves in confined colloidal crystals
2009
We show by computer simulation of a two-dimensional crystal confined by corrugated walls that confinement can be used to impose a controllable mesoscopic superstructure of predominantly mechanical elastic character. Due to an interplay of the particle density of the system and the width D of the confining channel, "soliton staircases" can be created along both parallel confining boundaries, that give rise to standing strain waves in the entire crystal. The periodicity of these waves is of the same order as D. This mechanism should be useful for structure formation in the self-assembly of various nanoscopic materials.
Toward a density functional description of liquid pH2.
2010
A finite-temperature density functional approach to describe the properties of parahydrogen in the liquid-vapor coexistence region is presented. The first proposed functional is zero-range, where the density-gradient term is adjusted so as to reproduce the surface tension of the liquid-vapor interface at low temperature. The second functional is finite-range and, while it is fitted to reproduce bulk pH2 properties only, it is shown to yield surface properties in good agreement with experiments. These functionals are used to study the surface thickness of the liquid-vapor interface, the wetting transition of parahydrogen on a planar Rb model surface, and homogeneous cavitation in bulk liquid…
Hydrodynamics with spin in bacterial suspensions
2016
We describe a new kind of self-propelling motion of bacteria based on the cooperative action of rotating flagella on the surface of bacteria. Describing the ensemble of rotating flagella in the framework of the hydrodynamics with spin the reciprocal theorem of Stokesian hydrodynamics is generalized accordingly. The velocity of the self-propulsion is expressed in terms of the characteristics of the vector field of flagella orientation and it is shown that unusually high velocities of \textit{Thiovulum majus} bacteria may be explained by the cooperative action of the rotating flagella. The expressions obtained enable us to estimate the torque created by the rotary motors of the bacterium and …
Impalement transitions in droplets impacting microstructured superhydrophobic surfaces
2008
Liquid droplets impacting a superhydrophobic surface decorated with micro-scale posts often bounce off the surface. However, by decreasing the impact velocity droplets may land on the surface in a fakir state, and by increasing it posts may impale droplets that are then stuck on the surface. We use a two-phase lattice-Boltzmann model to simulate droplet impact on superhydrophobic surfaces, and show that it may result in a fakir state also for reasonable high impact velocities. This happens more easily if the surface is made more hydrophobic or the post height is increased, thereby making the impaled state energetically less favourable.
Structure and Dynamics of the Instantaneous Water/Vapor Interface Revisited by Path-Integral and Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations
2015
The structure and dynamics of the water/vapor interface is revisited by means of path-integral and second-generation Car-Parrinello ab-initio molecular dynamics simulations in conjunction with an instantaneous surface definition [A. P. Willard and D. Chandler, J. Phys. Chem. B 114, 1954 (2010)]. In agreement with previous studies, we find that one of the OH bonds of the water molecules in the topmost layer is pointing out of the water into the vapor phase, while the orientation of the underlying layer is reversed. Therebetween, an additional water layer is detected, where the molecules are aligned parallel to the instantaneous water surface.