Mapping the glassy dynamics of soft spheres onto hard-sphere behavior

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that the dynamics of soft-sphere systems can be effectively mapped onto hard-sphere behavior using the Andersen-Weeks-Chandler approximation, accurately describing relaxation times near the glass transition.

Contribution

It extends the Andersen-Weeks-Chandler approximation from static properties to dynamic relaxation times in soft-sphere systems.

Findings

Effective hard-sphere diameter accurately predicts relaxation times.

The approximation remains valid near the glass transition.

Dynamic behavior can be mapped onto hard-sphere models.

Abstract

We show that the dynamics of soft-sphere systems with purely repulsive interactions can be described by introducing an effective hard-sphere diameter determined using the Andersen-Weeks-Chandler approximation. We find that this approximation, known to describe static properties of liquids, also gives a good description of a dynamical quantity, the relaxation time, even in the vicinity of the glass transition.