Thermodynamics and dynamics of the inherent states at the glass transition

TL;DR

This paper explores the thermodynamics and dynamics of inherent states at the glass transition, linking the Prigogine-Defay ratio, isomorphism, and density scaling to deepen understanding of glassy behavior.

Contribution

It extends previous work by connecting inherent state dynamics at the glass transition to isomorphism and density scaling, and discusses energy limits for stable states.

Findings

Prigogine-Defay ratio relates to inherent state freezing.

Dynamics at the glass transition connect to isomorphism.

Energy bounds for stable inherent states are identified.

Abstract

It has been recently shown that one can understand the Prigogine-Defay ratio at the glass transition in terms of freezing into one of the many inherent states of the undercooled liquid. In the present paper, the treatment is extended to the dynamics at the glass transition to show the connection to isomorphism and density scaling. In addition, the energy limits for stable inherent states are discussed.