Microscopic Theory of Heterogeneity and Nonexponential Relaxations in Supercooled Liquids

Xiaoyu Xia, Peter G. Wolynes
2001 Physical Review Letters  
Recent experiments and computer simulations show that supercooled liquids around the glass transition temperature are "dynamically heterogeneous" [1]. Such heterogeneity is expected from the random first order transition theory of the glass transition. Using a microscopic approach based on this theory, we derive a relation between the departure from Debye relaxation as characterized by the β value of a stretched exponential response function ϕ(t) =e^-(t/ τ_KWW)^β, and the fragility of the
more » ... . The β value is also predicted to depend on temperature and to vanish as the ideal glass transition is approached at the Kauzmann temperature.
doi:10.1103/physrevlett.86.5526 pmid:11415292 fatcat:xrs64aabpfgehdl4tuifrtyu74