Weak links between fast mobility and local structure in molecular and atomic liquids

TL;DR

This study uses molecular dynamics simulations to explore the relationship between fast particle mobility and local cage structure in supercooled molecular and atomic liquids, finding weak correlations and suggesting collective dynamics influence fast mobility.

Contribution

It demonstrates that local cage geometry alone does not strongly determine fast mobility, highlighting the role of extended collective modes in supercooled liquids.

Findings

Weak per-particle correlation between fast mobility and cage geometry.

Grouping particles or cages reveals increased fast mobility with size and asphericity.

Local forces do not correlate with fast mobility in molecular liquids.

Abstract

We investigate by Molecular-Dynamics simulations the fast mobility - the rattling amplitude of the particles temporarily trapped by the cage of the neighbors - in mildly supercooled states of dense molecular (linear trimers) and atomic (binary mixtures) liquids. The mixture particles interact by the Lennard-Jones potential. The non-bonded particles of the molecular system are coupled by the more general Mie potential with variable We investigate by Molecular-Dynamics simulations the fast mobility - the rattling amplitude of the particles temporarily trapped by the cage of the neighbors - in mildly supercooled states of dense molecular (linear trimers) and atomic (binary mixtures) liquids. The mixture particles interact by the Lennard-Jones potential. The non-bonded particles of the molecular system are coupled by the more general Mie potential with variable repulsive and attractive exponents in a range which is characteristic of small $n$-alkanes and $n$-alcohols. Possible links between the fast mobility and the geometry of the cage (size and shape) are searched. The correlations on a per-particle basis are rather weak. Instead, if one groups either the particles in fast-mobility subsets or the cages in geometric subsets, the increase of the fast mobility with both the size and the asphericity of the cage is revealed. The observed correlations are weak and differ in states with equal relaxation time. Local forces between a tagged particle and the first-neighbor shell do not correlate with the fast mobility in the molecular liquid. It is concluded that the cage geometry alone is unable to provide a microscopic interpretation of the known, universal link between the fast mobility and the slow structural relaxation. We suggest that the particle fast dynamics is affected by regions beyond the first neighbours, thus supporting the presence of collective, extended fast modes.