A theoretical perspective is provided on the glass transition in molecular liquids at thermal equilibrium, spatially heterogeneous and aging dynamics of disordered materials, rheology soft glassy materials. We start with a broad introduction to field emphasize its connections other subjects relevance. The important role played by computer simulations studying understanding systems close level given. recent progress subject that characterizes structural relaxation materials slow reviewed....

Understanding glass formation is a challenge because the existence of true state, distinct from liquid and solid, remains elusive: Glasses are liquids that have become too viscous to flow. An old idea, as yet unproven experimentally, dynamics becomes sluggish transition approaches increasingly larger regions material move simultaneously allow We introduce new multipoint dynamical susceptibilities estimate quantitatively size these provide direct experimental evidence molecular colloidal...

We present a comprehensive review of the physical behavior yield stress materials in soft condensed matter, which encompass broad range from colloidal assemblies and gels to emulsions non-Brownian suspensions. All these disordered display nonlinear flow response external mechanical forces, due existence finite force threshold for occur: stress. discuss both origin rheological consequences associated with this behavior, give an overview experimental techniques available measure recent...

We examine the structure of distribution single particle displacements (van Hove function) in a broad class materials close to glass and jamming transitions. In wide time window comprising structural relaxation, van functions reflect coexistence slow fast particles (dynamic heterogeneity). The tails distributions exhibit exponential, rather than Gaussian, decay. argue that this behavior is universal glassy should be considered analog, space, stretched exponential decay correlation functions....

We use dynamic light scattering and computer simulations to study equilibrium dynamics heterogeneity in concentrated suspensions of colloidal hard spheres. Our covers an unprecedented density range spans seven decades structural relaxation time, tau(alpha0, including measurements above phi(c), the location glass transition deduced from fitting our data mode-coupling theory. Instead falling out equilibrium, system remains ergodic phi(c) enters a new dynamical regime where tau(alpha) increases...

Significance Understanding how amorphous solids yield in response to external deformations is crucial both for practical applications and theoretical reasons. Here we show that despite large differences the materials’ microscopic interactions, a degree of universality emerges as there are only two ways which respond deformation: One, typical well-annealed materials, characterized by an abrupt failure with macroscopic stress drop sudden emergence sharp shear bands; other, poorly annealed...

We explore numerically the shear rheology of soft repulsive particles at large volume fraction. The interplay between viscous dissipation and thermal motion results in multiple rheological regimes encompassing Newtonian, shear-thinning, yield stress near "colloidal" glass transition when fluctuations are important, crossing over to qualitatively similar "jamming" dominates. In crossover regime, jamming sectors coexist give complex flow curves. Although limits characterized by macroscopic...

Successful computer studies of glass-forming materials need to overcome both the natural tendency structural ordering and dramatic increase relaxation times at low temperatures. We present a comprehensive analysis eleven models demonstrate that challenges can be efficiently tackled using carefully designed size polydisperse supercooled liquids together with an efficient Monte Carlo algorithm where translational particle displacements are complemented by swaps pairs. study broad range...

We combine the swap Monte Carlo algorithm to long multi-CPU molecular dynamics simulations analyse equilibrium relaxation of model supercooled liquids over a time window covering ten orders magnitude for temperatures down experimental glass transition temperature $T_g$. The analysis \rev{several} correlation functions coupled spatio-temporal resolution particle motion allow us elucidate nature in deeply liquids. find that structural starts at early times rare localised regions characterised...

We compute analytically and numerically the four-point correlation function that characterizes non-trivial cooperative dynamics in glassy systems within several models of glasses: elasto-plastic deformations, mode-coupling theory (MCT), collectively rearranging regions (CRR), diffusing defects kinetically constrained (KCM). Some features susceptibility chi_4(t) are expected to be universal. at short times we expect an elastic regime characterized by a t or sqrt{t} growth. find both beta,...

The nonequilibrium dynamics of a binary Lennard-Jones mixture in simple shear flow is investigated by means molecular simulations. range temperature T covers both the liquid, supercooled, and glassy states, while rate γ linear nonlinear regimes rheology. results can be interpreted context nonequilibrium, schematic mode-coupling theory developed recently, which makes applicable to wide soft materials. behavior viscosity η(T,γ) first investigated. In regime, strong shear-thinning obtained,...

We use recently introduced three-point dynamic susceptibilities to obtain an experimental determination of the temperature evolution number molecules Ncorr that are dynamically correlated during structural relaxation supercooled liquids. first discuss in detail physical content functions relate sensitivity averaged two-time dynamics external control parameters (such as or density), well their connection more standard four-point susceptibility associated with dynamical heterogeneities. then...

We numerically produce fully amorphous assemblies of frictionless spheres in three dimensions and study the jamming transition these packings undergo at large volume fractions. specify four protocols yielding a critical value for fraction which is sharply defined limit system size, but different each protocol. Thus, we directly establish existence continuous range where nonequilibrium transitions occur. However, share same behaviour. Our results suggest that, even absence partial crystalline...

We numerically obtain a quantitative demonstration that development of spatial correlations mobility as temperature is lowered responsible for the ``decoupling'' transport properties supercooled liquids. This result further demonstrates necessity description glass formation and therefore seriously challenges number popular alternative theoretical descriptions.

Amorphous solids are mechanically rigid while possessing a disordered structure similar to that of dense liquids. Recent research indicates dynamical heterogeneity, spatio-temporal fluctuations in local behavior, might help understanding the statistical mechanics glassy states.

We investigate a general scenario for ``glassy'' or ``jammed'' systems driven by an external, non-conservative force, analogous to shear force in fluid. In this scenario, the drive results suppression of usual aging process, and correlation response functions become time translation invariant. The relaxation are then dependent on intensity temperature. dependence within framework dynamical closure approximation that becomes exact disordered, fully-connected models. is shown be decreasing...

Using molecular dynamics simulations, we show that a simple model of glassy material exhibits the shear localization phenomenon observed in many complex fluids. At low rates, system separates into fluidized band and an unsheared part. The two bands are characterized by very different probed local intermediate scattering function. Furthermore, stick-slip motion is at small rates. Our results, which open possibility exploring rheological behavior using compared to recent experiments on various...

We use computer simulations to study the glass transition of dense fluids made polydisperse repulsive spheres. For hard particles, we vary volume fraction, phi , and compressible particles explore finite temperatures, T>0 . In sphere limit, our dynamic data show evidence an avoided mode-coupling singularity near phi(MCT) is approximately 0.592; they are consistent with a divergence equilibrium relaxation times occurring at phi(0) 0.635, but leave open existence temperature for spheres...

We propose that the dynamics of supercooled liquids and formation glasses can be understood from existence a zero-temperature dynamical critical point. To support our proposal, we derive dynamic field theory for generic kinetically constrained model, which expect to describe liquid. study this using renormalization group (RG). Its long time behavior is dominated by point, d>2 belongs directed percolation universality class. Molecular simulations seem confirm scaling consistent with RG predictions.

The interplay between self-diffusion and excitation lines in space-time was recently studied kinetically constrained models to explain the breakdown of Stokes-Einstein law supercooled liquids. Here, we further examine this its manifestation incoherent scattering functions. In particular, establish a dynamic length scale below which Fickian diffusion breaks down, as is observed experiments simulations. We describe temperature dependence liquids various fragilities, provide analytical...

We analyze static point-to-set correlations in glass-forming liquids. The generic idea is to freeze the position of a set particles an equilibrium configuration and perform sampling presence this additional constraint. Qualitatively different geometries for confining are considered detailed comparison resulting dynamic correlation functions performed. Our results reveal existence spatial not detected by conventional two-body correlators, which appear be decoupled from, shorter-ranged than,...