87 research outputs found
Sequencing Chess
We analyze the structure of the state space of chess by means of transition
path sampling Monte Carlo simulation. Based on the typical number of moves
required to transpose a given configuration of chess pieces into another, we
conclude that the state space consists of several pockets between which
transitions are rare. Skilled players explore an even smaller subset of
positions that populate some of these pockets only very sparsely. These results
suggest that the usual measures to estimate both, the size of the state space
and the size of the tree of legal moves, are not unique indicators of the
complexity of the game, but that topological considerations are equally
important
Intermediate range chemical ordering of cations in simple molten alkali halides
The presence of first sharp diffraction peaks in the partial structure
factors is investigated in computer simulations of molten mixtures of alkali
halides. An intermediate range ordering appears for the Li+ ions only, which is
associated with clustering of this species and is not reflected in the
arrangement of other ions. This ordering is surprising in view of the
simplicity of the interionic interactions in alkali halides. The clustering
reflects an incomplete mixing of the various species on a local length scale,
which can be demonstrated by studying the complementary sub-space of cations in
the corresponding pure alkali halides by means of a void analysis.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
Long-Wavelength Anomalies in the Asymptotic Behavior of Mode-Coupling Theory
We discuss the dynamic behavior of a tagged particle close to a classical
localization transition in the framework of the mode-coupling theory of the
glass transition. Asymptotic results are derived for the order parameter as
well as the dynamic correlation functions and the mean-squared displacement
close to the transition. The influence of an infrared cutoff is discussed.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures, to appear in J Phys Condens Matte
Mobile particles in an immobile environment: Molecular Dynamics simulation of a binary Yukawa mixture
Molecular dynamics computer simulations are used to investigate thedynamics
of a binary mixture of charged (Yukawa) particles with a size-ratio of 1:5. We
find that the system undergoes a phase transition where the large particles
crystallize while the small particles remain in a fluid-like (delocalized)
phase. Upon decreasing temperature below the transition, the small particles
become increasingly localized on intermediate time scales. This is reflected in
the incoherent intermediate scattering functions by the appearance of a plateau
with a growing height. At long times, the small particles show a diffusive
hopping motion. We find that these transport properties are related to
structural correlations and the single-particle potential energy distribution
of the small particles.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
Alpha-Relaxation Processes in Binary Hard-Sphere Mixtures
Molecular-dynamics simulations are presented for two correlation functions
formed with the partial density fluctuations of binary hard-sphere mixtures in
order to explore the effects of mixing on the evolution of glassy dynamics upon
compressing the liquid into high-density states. Partial-density-fluctuation
correlation functions for the two species are reported. Results for the
alpha-relaxation process are quantified by parameters for the strength, the
stretching, and the time scale, where the latter varies over almost four orders
of magnitude upon compression. The parameters exhibit an appreciable dependence
on the wave vector; and this dependence is different for the correlation
function referring to the smaller and that for the larger species. These
features are shown to be in semi-quantitative agreement with those calculated
within the mode-coupling theory for ideal liquid-glass transitions.Comment: 14 pages, 20 figures, RevTe
Tests of mode coupling theory in a simple model for two-component miscible polymer blends
We present molecular dynamics simulations on the structural relaxation of a
simple bead-spring model for polymer blends. The introduction of a different
monomer size induces a large time scale separation for the dynamics of the two
components. Simulation results for a large set of observables probing density
correlations, Rouse modes, and orientations of bond and chain end-to-end
vectors, are analyzed within the framework of the Mode Coupling Theory (MCT).
An unusually large value of the exponent parameter is obtained. This feature
suggests the possibility of an underlying higher-order MCT scenario for dynamic
arrest.Comment: Revised version. Additional figures and citation
Glass Rheology: From mode-coupling theory to a dynamical yield criterion
The mode coupling theory (MCT) of glasses, while offering an incomplete
description of glass transition physics, represents the only established route
to first-principles prediction of rheological behavior in nonergodic materials
such as colloidal glasses. However, the constitutive equations derivable from
MCT are somewhat intractable, hindering their practical use and also their
interpretation. Here, we present a schematic (single-mode) MCT model which
incorporates the tensorial structure of the full theory. Using it, we calculate
the dynamic yield surface for a large class of flows
Universal and non-universal features of glassy relaxation in propylene carbonate
It is demonstrated that the susceptibility spectra of supercooled propylene
carbonate as measured by depolarized-light-scattering, dielectric-loss, and
incoherent quasi-elastic neutron-scattering spectroscopy within the GHz window
are simultaneously described by the solutions of a two-component schematic
model of the mode-coupling theory (MCT) for the evolution of glassy dynamics.
It is shown that the universal beta-relaxation-scaling laws, dealing with the
asymptotic behavior of the MCT solutions, describe the qualitative features of
the calculated spectra. But the non-universal corrections to the scaling laws
render it impossible to achieve a complete quantitative description using only
the leading-order-asymptotic results.Comment: 37 pages, 16 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.
Structural Relaxation and Mode Coupling in a Simple Liquid: Depolarized Light Scattering in Benzene
We have measured depolarized light scattering in liquid benzene over the
whole accessible temperature range and over four decades in frequency. Between
40 and 180 GHz we find a susceptibility peak due to structural relaxation. This
peak shows stretching and time-temperature scaling as known from
relaxation in glass-forming materials. A simple mode-coupling model provides
consistent fits of the entire data set. We conclude that structural relaxation
in simple liquids and relaxation in glass-forming materials are
physically the same. A deeper understanding of simple liquids is reached by
applying concepts that were originally developed in the context of
glass-transition research.Comment: submitted to New J. Phy
Reorientational relaxation of a linear probe molecule in a simple glassy liquid
Within the mode-coupling theory (MCT) for the evolution of structural
relaxation in glass-forming liquids, correlation functions and susceptibility
spectra are calculated characterizing the rotational dynamics of a top-down
symmetric dumbbell molecule, consisting of two fused hard spheres immersed in a
hard-sphere system. It is found that for sufficiently large dumbbell
elongations, the dynamics of the probe molecule follows the same universal
glass-transition scenario as known from the MCT results of simple liquids. The
-relaxation process of the angular-index-j=1 response is stronger,
slower and less stretched than the one for j=2, in qualitative agreement with
results found by dielectric-loss and depolarized-light-scattering spectroscopy
for some supercooled liquids. For sufficiently small elongations, the
reorientational relaxation occurs via large-angle flips, and the standard
scenario for the glass-transition dynamics is modified for odd-j responses due
to precursor phenomena of a nearby type-A MCT transition. In this case, a major
part of the relaxation outside the transient regime is described qualitatively
by the -relaxation scaling laws, while the -relaxation scaling
law is strongly disturbed.Comment: 40 pages. 10 figures as GIF-files, to be published in Phys. Rev.
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