Extremely persistent dense active fluids.

We study the dynamics of dense three-dimensional systems of active particles for large persistence times at constant average self-propulsion force . These systems are fluid counterparts of previously investigated extremely persistent systems, which in the large persistence time limit relax only on the time scale of . We find that many dynamic properties of the systems we study, such as the mean-squared velocity, the self-intermediate scattering function, and the shear-stress correlation function, become -independent in the large persistence time limit.

Scaling of the non-phononic spectrum of two-dimensional glasses.

Low-frequency vibrational harmonic modes of glasses are frequently used to rationalize their universal low-temperature properties. One well studied feature is the excess low-frequency density of states over the Debye model prediction. Here, we examine the system size dependence of the density of states for two-dimensional glasses.

Erratum: Low-Frequency Excess Vibrational Modes in Two-Dimensional Glasses [Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 248001 (2021)].

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.

Microscopic analysis of sound attenuation in low-temperature amorphous solids reveals quantitative importance of non-affine effects.

Sound attenuation in low-temperature amorphous solids originates from their disordered structure. However, its detailed mechanism is still being debated. Here, we analyze sound attenuation starting directly from the microscopic equations of motion.

Single-particle fluctuations dominate the long-time dynamic susceptibility in glass-forming liquids.

Liquids near the glass transition exhibit dynamical heterogeneity, i.e., correlated regions in the liquid relax at either a much faster rate or a much slower rate than the average.

Low-Frequency Excess Vibrational Modes in Two-Dimensional Glasses.

Glasses possess more low-frequency vibrational modes than predicted by Debye theory. These excess modes are crucial for the understanding of the low temperature thermal and mechanical properties of glasses, which differ from those of crystalline solids. Recent simulational studies suggest that the density of the excess modes scales with their frequency ω as ω^{4} in two and higher dimensions.

The Einstein effective temperature can predict the tagged active particle density.

We derive a distribution function for the position of a tagged active particle in a slowly varying in space external potential, in a system of interacting active particles. The tagged particle distribution has the form of the Boltzmann distribution but with an effective temperature that replaces the temperature of the heat bath. We show that the effective temperature that enters the tagged particle distribution is the same as the effective temperature defined through the Einstein relation, i.

Active matter: Quantifying the departure from equilibrium.

Active matter systems are driven out of equilibrium at the level of individual constituents. One widely studied class are systems of athermal particles that move under the combined influence of interparticle interactions and self-propulsions, with the latter evolving according to the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck stochastic process. Intuitively, these so-called active Ornstein-Uhlenbeck particle (AOUP) systems are farther from equilibrium for longer self-propulsion persistence times.

Sound attenuation in finite-temperature stable glasses.

The temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity of amorphous solids is markedly different from that of their crystalline counterparts, but exhibits universal behaviour. Sound attenuation is believed to be related to this universal behaviour. Recent computer simulations demonstrated that in the harmonic approximation sound attenuation Γ obeys quartic, Rayleigh scattering scaling for small wavevectors k and quadratic scaling for wavevectors above the Ioffe-Regel limit.

Stability dependence of local structural heterogeneities of stable amorphous solids.

The universal anomalous vibrational and thermal properties of amorphous solids are believed to be related to the local variations of the elasticity. Recently it has been shown that the vibrational properties are sensitive to the glass's stability. Here we study the stability dependence of the local elastic constants of a simulated glass former over a broad range of stabilities, from a poorly annealed glass to a glass whose stability is comparable to laboratory exceptionally stable vapor deposited glasses.

Energy transport in glasses.

The temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity is linked to the nature of the energy transport at a frequency ω, which is quantified by thermal diffusivity d(ω). Here we study d(ω) for a poorly annealed glass and a highly stable glass prepared using the swap Monte Carlo algorithm. To calculate d(ω), we excite wave packets and find that the energy moves diffusively for high frequencies up to a maximum frequency, beyond which the energy stays localized.

Front-Mediated Melting of Isotropic Ultrastable Glasses.

Ultrastable vapor-deposited glasses display uncommon material properties. Most remarkably, upon heating they are believed to melt via a liquid front that originates at the free surface and propagates over a mesoscopic crossover length, before crossing over to bulk melting. We combine swap Monte Carlo with molecular dynamics simulations to prepare and melt isotropic amorphous films of unprecedendtly high kinetic stability.

Sound attenuation in stable glasses.

Understanding the difference between the universal low-temperature properties of amorphous and crystalline solids requires an explanation for the stronger damping of long-wavelength phonons in amorphous solids. A longstanding sound attenuation scenario, resulting from a combination of experiments, theories, and simulations, leads to a quartic scaling of sound attenuation with the wavevector, which is commonly attributed to the Rayleigh scattering of sound. Modern computer simulations offer conflicting conclusions regarding the validity of this picture.

Glassy dynamics in dense systems of active particles.

Despite the diversity of materials designated as active matter, virtually all active systems undergo a form of dynamic arrest when crowding and activity compete, reminiscent of the dynamic arrest observed in colloidal and molecular fluids undergoing a glass transition. We present a short perspective on recent and ongoing efforts to understand how activity competes with other physical interactions in dense systems. We review recent experimental work on active materials that uncovered both classic signatures of glassy dynamics and intriguing novel phenomena at large density.

Viscoelastic shear stress relaxation in two-dimensional glass-forming liquids.

Translational dynamics of 2D glass-forming fluids is strongly influenced by soft, long-wavelength fluctuations first recognized by D. Mermin and H. Wagner.

Low-frequency vibrational modes of stable glasses.

Unusual features of the vibrational density of states D(ω) of glasses allow one to rationalize their peculiar low-temperature properties. Simulational studies of D(ω) have been restricted to studying poorly annealed glasses that may not be relevant to experiments. Here we report on D(ω) of zero-temperature glasses with kinetic stabilities ranging from poorly annealed to ultrastable glasses.

Comparison of single particle dynamics at the center and on the surface of equilibrium glassy films.

Glasses prepared by vapor depositing molecules onto a properly prepared substrate can have enhanced kinetic stability when compared with glasses prepared by cooling from the liquid state. The enhanced stability is due to the high mobility of particles at the surface, which allows them to find lower energy configurations than for liquid cooled glasses. Here we use molecular dynamics simulations to examine the temperature dependence of the single particle dynamics in the bulk of the film and at the surface of the film.

Phenotypic characterization of aberrant stem and progenitor cell populations in myelodysplastic syndromes.

Recent reports have revealed myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) to arise from cancer stem cells phenotypically similar to physiological hematopoietic stem cells. Myelodysplastic hematopoiesis maintains a hierarchical organization, but the proportion of several hematopoietic compartments is skewed and multiple surface markers are aberrantly expressed. These aberrant antigen expression patterns hold diagnostic and therapeutic promise.

Origin of Ultrastability in Vapor-Deposited Glasses.

Glass films created by vapor-depositing molecules onto a substrate can exhibit properties similar to those of ordinary glasses aged for thousands of years. It is believed that enhanced surface mobility is the mechanism that allows vapor deposition to create such exceptional glasses, but it is unclear how this effect is related to the final state of the film. Here we use molecular dynamics simulations to model vapor deposition and an efficient Monte Carlo algorithm to determine the deposition rate needed to create ultrastable glassy films.

Self-intermediate scattering function analysis of supercooled water confined in hydrophilic silica nanopores.

We study the temperature dependence of the self-intermediate scattering function for supercooled water confined in hydrophilic silica nanopores. We simulate the simple point charge/extended model of water confined to pores of radii 20 Å, 30 Å, and 40 Å over a temperature range of 210 K to 250 K. First, we examine the temperature dependence of the structure of the water and find that there is layering next to the pore surface for all temperatures and diameters.

Kinetic stability and energetics of simulated glasses createdby constant pressure cooling.

We use computer simulations to study the cooling rate dependence of the stability and energetics of model glasses created at constant pressure conditions and compare the results with glasses formed at constant volume conditions. To examine the stability, we determine the time it takes for a glass cooled and reheated at constant pressure to transform back into a liquid, t, and calculate the stability ratio S=t/τ, where τ is the equilibrium relaxation time of the liquid. We find that, for slow enough cooling rates, cooling and reheating at constant pressure results in a larger stability ratio S than for cooling and reheating at constant volume.

The nonequilibrium glassy dynamics of self-propelled particles.

We study the glassy dynamics taking place in dense assemblies of athermal active particles that are driven solely by a nonequilibrium self-propulsion mechanism. Active forces are modeled as an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck stochastic process, characterized by a persistence time and an effective temperature, and particles interact via a Lennard-Jones potential that yields well-studied glassy behavior in the Brownian limit, which is obtained as the persistence time vanishes. By increasing the persistence time, the system departs more strongly from thermal equilibrium and we provide a comprehensive numerical analysis of the structure and dynamics of the resulting active fluid.

Reduced strength and extent of dynamic heterogeneity in a strong glass former as compared to fragile glass formers.

We examined dynamic heterogeneity in a model tetrahedral network glass-forming liquid. We used four-point correlation functions to extract dynamic correlation lengths ξ4(a)(t) and susceptibilities χ4(a)(t) corresponding to structural relaxation on two length scales a. One length scale corresponds to structural relaxation at nearest neighbor distances and the other corresponds to relaxation of the tetrahedral structure.

Glassy dynamics of athermal self-propelled particles: Computer simulations and a nonequilibrium microscopic theory.

We combine computer simulations and analytical theory to investigate the glassy dynamics in dense assemblies of athermal particles evolving under the sole influence of self-propulsion. Our simulations reveal that when the persistence time of the self-propulsion is increased, the local structure becomes more pronounced, whereas the long-time dynamics first accelerates and then slows down. We explain these surprising findings by constructing a nonequilibrium microscopic theory that yields nontrivial predictions for the glassy dynamics.