Abstract
Several theories of the glass transition propose that the structural relaxation time is controlled by a growing static length scale that is determined by the free energy landscape but not by the local dynamic rules governing its exploration. We argue, based on recent simulations using particle-radius-swap dynamics, that only a modest factor in the increase in on approach to the glass transition may stem from the growth of a static length, with a vastly larger contribution attributable, instead, to a slowdown of local dynamics. This reinforces arguments that we base on the observed strong coupling of particle diffusion and density fluctuations in real glasses.
- Received 1 June 2017
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.195501
© 2017 American Physical Society