Phase-Separation Perspective on Dynamic Heterogeneities in Glass-Forming Liquids

CAVAGNA, A.; GIARDINA, I.; GRADENIGO, G.; GRIGERA, T. S.; PARISI, G.; VERROCCHIO, P.

PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS

AMER PHYSICAL SOC

Año: 2010 vol. 105 p. 55703 - 55703

0031-9007

We study dynamic heterogeneities in a model glass former whose overlap with a reference configuration is constrained to a fixed value. We find that the system phase separates into regions of small and large overlap, indicating that a nonzero surface tension plays an important role in the formation of dynamical heterogeneities. We calculate an appropriate thermodynamic potential and find evidence of a Maxwell construction consistent with a spinodal decomposition of two phases. Our results suggest that even in standard, unconstrained systems dynamic heterogeneities are the expression of an ephemeral phase-separating regime ruled by a finite surface tension.