A TOPOGRAPHIC VIEW OF SUPERCOOLED LIQUIDS AND GLASS FORMATION

摘要

Various static and dynamic phenomena displayed by glass-forming liquids, particularly those near the so-called ''fragile'' limit, emerge as manifestations of the multidimensional complex topography of the collective potential energy function. These include non-Arrhenius viscosity and relaxation times, bifurcation between the alpha- and beta-relaxation processes, and a breakdown of the Stokes-Einstein relation for self-diffusion. This multidimensional viewpoint also produces an extension of the venerable Lindemann melting criterion and provides a critical evaluation of the popular ''ideal glass state'' concept.