1203.1732 (Alex Malins et al.)

Identification of long-lived clusters and their link to slow dynamics in
a model glass former    [PDF]

Alex Malins, Jens Eggers, C. Patrick Royall, Stephen R. Williams, Hajime Tanaka

We have identified long-lived structural ordering in a model glass-forming liquid. A novel cluster-based approach is used to detect local energy minimum clusters and a structure-specific time correlation function is devised to characterize the degree of free energy minimization of each locally preferred cluster. For our system, the lifetime correlation function for icosahedral clusters decays far slower than for those of similarly sized but topologically distinct clusters. The lifetime of icosahedral clusters increases as the domains of icosahedra get bigger, and particles neighboring these domains have suppressed mobility, providing a mechanism for the development of dynamical heterogeneities on cooling. Finally we consider how two structural correlation lengths of the domains of icosahedra relate to the four-point dynamic correlation length.

View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1203.1732