The connection between non-exponential relaxation and fragility in supercooled liquids

TL;DR

This paper investigates the relationship between non-exponential relaxation and fragility in supercooled liquids using the ferromagnetic Potts model, revealing how environment dependence influences these properties.

Contribution

It demonstrates a connection between relaxation behavior and fragility through environment dependence in a simple lattice model, offering insights into supercooled liquids.

Findings

Relaxation and fragility are linked via environment dependence.

The ferromagnetic Potts model exhibits non-exponential relaxation.

Temperature and time dependence of site environments are key factors.

Abstract

Among the outstanding problems in the theory of supercooled liquids are the reasons for the rapid increase in their viscosity and relaxation times as the temperature is lowered towards the glass transition temperature, the non-exponential time dependence of the relaxation, and the possible connection between these two properties. The ferromagnetic Potts model on a square latice is a simple system that is found to exhibit these properties. Our calculations show that in this system the connection between them is associated with the dependence on temperature and time of the average environment of the sites. Some of the consequences of this for understanding the behavior of supercooled liquids are discussed.