Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 10, 2026

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids
Published on: December 4, 2017
Energy landscape of a lennard-jones liquid: statistics of stationary points
K Broderix1, K K Bhattacharya, A Cavagna
1Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Gottingen, Bunsenstrasse 9, D-37073 Göttingen, Germany.
Abstract:
Molecular dynamics simulations are used to generate an ensemble of saddles of the potential energy of a Lennard-Jones liquid. Classifying all extrema by their potential energy u and number of unstable directions k, a well-defined relation k(u) is revealed. The degree of instability of typical stationary points vanishes at a threshold potential energy u(th), which lies above the energy of the lowest glassy minima of the system. The energies of the inherent states, as obtained by the Stillinger-Weber method, approach u(th) at a temperature close to the mode-coupling transition temperature T(c).
Related Concept Videos
Two Components: Liquid–Liquid Systems
First Law: Particles in Two-dimensional Equilibrium
Newton's first law tells us about the...
First Law: Particles in One-dimensional Equilibrium
Liquid–Solid Solutions
Energy Diagrams - II
The point in the energy diagram at which the system’s potential energy is the lowest is known as the local minima. The system tends to stay in this position indefinitely unless acted upon by a net force. The slope of the potential energy diagram at the local minima is zero, indicating that zero net force is acting on the system. The slope...
Nonideal Two-Component Liquid Solutions

