Ideal glass-glass transitions and logarithmic decay of correlations in a simple system

TL;DR

This paper uses mode-coupling theory to analyze ideal glass-glass transitions in adhesive hard spheres, revealing two mechanisms of arrest and a cusp bifurcation leading to logarithmic decay of correlations.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed theoretical analysis of glass-glass transitions and correlation decay in a simple adhesive hard sphere system, highlighting two distinct arrest mechanisms.

Findings

Two intersecting transition lines controlled by different potential parts

Presence of a glass-glass transition line ending in a cusp bifurcation

Logarithmic decay of correlations near the cusp bifurcation

Abstract

We calculate the ideal-glass-transition line for adhesive hard spheres in the temperature-volume-fraction plane within the framework of the mode-coupling theory. We find two intersecting lines, controlled by the hard-core and the adhesive part of the potential respectively, giving rise to two different mechanisms for structural arrest. In the glass region we identify the presence of a glass-glass-transition line ending in a cusp bifurcation which causes, even in the close by liquid region, a logarithmic decay of correlations.