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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

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Published on: April 5, 2022
Equilibrium and nonequilibrium fluctuations in a glass-forming liquid
Azita Parsaeian1, Horacio E Castillo
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, 45701, USA.
Dynamical heterogeneities in glass-forming liquids are similar in equilibrium and aging regimes. Rescaled dynamic susceptibility shows weak temperature dependence across both states, suggesting universal behavior near the glass transition.
Area of Science:
- Condensed matter physics
- Materials science
- Statistical mechanics
Background:
- Glass-forming liquids exhibit dynamical heterogeneities near the glass transition.
- Understanding these fluctuations is key to comprehending glass transition physics.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the probability distributions of local fluctuations in both equilibrium and nonequilibrium (aging) regimes.
- Compare these distributions across different temperatures and time scales.
Main Methods:
- Numerical simulations of a binary Weeks-Chandler-Andersen liquid.
- Systematic variation of temperature and time scale.
- Analysis of probability distributions and integrated dynamic susceptibility.
Main Results:
- Probability distributions of local fluctuations are remarkably similar in equilibrium and aging regimes, and across temperatures.
- Rescaled integrated dynamic susceptibility shows weak temperature dependence in both regimes.
Conclusions:
- The observed similarity in fluctuation distributions suggests universal behavior in glass-forming liquids.
- Findings imply that aging dynamics do not fundamentally alter the nature of local fluctuations near the glass transition.
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