Abstract
We present new simulation results for the specific heat in a classical model of a binary mixture glass former in two dimensions. We show that in addition to the formerly observed specific heat peak, there is a second peak at lower temperatures which was not observable in earlier simulations. This is a surprise, as most texts on the glass transition expect a single specific heat peak. We explain the physics of the two specific heat peaks by the micromelting of two types of clusters. While this physics is easily accessible, the consequences are that one should not expect any universality in the temperature dependence of the specific heat in glass formers.
- Received 15 August 2008
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.265701
©2008 American Physical Society