Linking Equilibrium and Nonequilibrium Dynamics in Glass-Forming Systems

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Understanding nonequilibrium glassy dynamics is crucial for materials science and technology.
• Predicting the temperature, thermal history, and composition dependence of viscosity in glassy states is challenging due to their noncrystalline and nonergodic nature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a connection between nonequilibrium glassy dynamics and equilibrium liquid dynamics.
• To derive a new functional form for the thermal history dependence of nonequilibrium viscosity.
• To improve the prediction of nonequilibrium viscosity for glassy materials.

Main Methods:

• Derivation of a novel functional form for thermal history dependence of viscosity.
• Validation against experimental measurements of industrial silicate glasses.
• Comparison with computed viscosities for selenium across various conditions.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated an intimate connection between nonequilibrium glassy dynamics and equilibrium liquid dynamics.
• Validated the new functional form against experimental and computed viscosity data.
• Established a pathway to predict viscosity based on liquid dynamics.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully links nonequilibrium glass behavior to equilibrium liquid dynamics.
• The derived functional form provides a more accurate method for predicting viscosity.
• This research enhances the understanding of the physics governing nonequilibrium viscosity, with implications for materials design.