We review a new theory of viscoelasticity of a glass-forming viscous liquid near and below the glass transition. In our model, we assume that each point in the material has a specific viscosity, which varies randomly in space according to a fluctuating activation free energy. We include a Maxwellian elastic term, and assume that the corresponding shear modulus fluctuates as wellwith the same distribution as that of the activation barriers.The model is solved in coherent potential approximation, for which a derivation is given. The theory predicts an Arrheniustype temperature dependence of the viscosity in the vanishing frequency limit, independent of the distribution of the activation barriers. The theory implies that this activation energy is generally different from that of a diffusing particle with the same barrier height distribution. If the distribution of activation barriers is assumed to have the Gaussian form, the finite-frequency version of the theory describes well the typical low-temperature alpha relaxation peak of glasses. Beta relaxation can be included by adding another Gaussian with centre at much lower energies than that is responsible for the alpha relaxation. At high frequencies, our theory reduces to the description of an elastic medium with spatially fluctuating elastic moduli (heterogeneous elasticity theory), which explains the occurrence of the boson peak-related vibrational anomalies of glasses.

Theory of heterogeneous viscoelasticity / Schirmacher, Walter; Ruocco, Giancarlo; Mazzone, Valerio. - In: PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE. - ISSN 1478-6435. - 96:7-9(2016), pp. 620-635. [10.1080/14786435.2015.1119907]

Theory of heterogeneous viscoelasticity

SCHIRMACHER, WALTER;RUOCCO, Giancarlo;
2016

Abstract

We review a new theory of viscoelasticity of a glass-forming viscous liquid near and below the glass transition. In our model, we assume that each point in the material has a specific viscosity, which varies randomly in space according to a fluctuating activation free energy. We include a Maxwellian elastic term, and assume that the corresponding shear modulus fluctuates as wellwith the same distribution as that of the activation barriers.The model is solved in coherent potential approximation, for which a derivation is given. The theory predicts an Arrheniustype temperature dependence of the viscosity in the vanishing frequency limit, independent of the distribution of the activation barriers. The theory implies that this activation energy is generally different from that of a diffusing particle with the same barrier height distribution. If the distribution of activation barriers is assumed to have the Gaussian form, the finite-frequency version of the theory describes well the typical low-temperature alpha relaxation peak of glasses. Beta relaxation can be included by adding another Gaussian with centre at much lower energies than that is responsible for the alpha relaxation. At high frequencies, our theory reduces to the description of an elastic medium with spatially fluctuating elastic moduli (heterogeneous elasticity theory), which explains the occurrence of the boson peak-related vibrational anomalies of glasses.
2016
coherent potential approximation; glass; glass relaxation; mechanical property evaluation; metallic glasses; viscoelasticity; Condensed Matter Physics
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01a Articolo in rivista
Theory of heterogeneous viscoelasticity / Schirmacher, Walter; Ruocco, Giancarlo; Mazzone, Valerio. - In: PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE. - ISSN 1478-6435. - 96:7-9(2016), pp. 620-635. [10.1080/14786435.2015.1119907]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/977882
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