Statistical Mechanics of Glassy Dynamics

Colorado State University, Fort Collins CO

Investigators

Abstract

Grzegorz Szamel of Colorado State University is supported by an award from the Theoretical and Computational Chemistry program within the Division of Chemistry for research aimed at increasing our understanding of glassy dynamics. The research has two goals: first, correlated motions of individual particles via computational and theoretical investigation will be elucidated using a four-point correlation function. The second goal is a search for and evaluation of new self-consistent approximations for dynamics of kinetically constrained models. Understanding particles' motions in amorphous materials is important in a variety of different fields ranging from food preservation and drug stability to crystallization of amorphous materials. Also, new, better self-consistent approximations for the dynamics of simple model systems will be applied to more complicated and finally more realistic systems. It is hoped that these better self-consistent approximations will supplant the standard mode-coupling theory that is now often used to interpret simulations and experiments. The research is is having a broader impact on a range of biological and materials related applications.