Ref HAL: hal-00643045_v1
PMID 22181365
Ref Arxiv: 1106.4663
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.84.051103
WoS: 000296958700001
Ref. & Cit.: NASA ADS
Exporter : BibTex | endNote
64 Citations
Résumé:

We develop a microscopic theory to analyze the phase behaviour and compute correlation functions of dense assemblies of soft repulsive particles both at finite temperature, as in colloidal materials, and at vanishing temperature, a situation relevant for granular materials and emulsions. We use a mean-field statistical mechanical approach which combines elements of liquid state theory to replica calculations to obtain quantitative predictions for the location of phase boundaries, macroscopic thermodynamic properties and microstructure of the system. We focus in particular on the derivation of scaling properties emerging in the vicinity of the jamming transition occurring at large density and zero temperature. The new predictions we obtain for pair correlation functions near contact are tested using computer simulations. Our work also clarifies the conceptual nature of the jamming transition, and its relation to the phenomenon of the glass transition observed in atomic liquids.

Commentaires: 31 pages, 18 figures; long version of arXiv:1011.5638 Journal: Phys. Rev. E 84, 051103 (2011)