Evolution of the pore size distribution in sheared binary glasses

Voronoi tessellation-based algorithm for determining rigorously defined classical and generalized geometric pore size distributions

The geometric pore size distribution (PSD) P(r) as function of pore radius r is an important characteristic of porous structures, including particle-based systems, because it allows us to analyze adsorption behavior, the strength of materials, etc. Multiple definitions and corresponding algorithms, particularly in the context of computational approaches, exist that aim at calculating a PSD, often without mentioning the employed definition and therefore leading to qualitatively very different and apparently incompatible results. Here, we analyze the differences between the PSDs introduced by Torquato et al. and the more widely accepted one provided by Gelb and Gubbins, here denoted as T-PSD and G-PSD, respectively, and provide rigorous mathematical definitions that allow us to quantify the qualitative differences. We then extend G-PSD to incorporate the ideas of coating, which is significant for nanoparticle-based systems, and of finite probe particles, which is crucial to micro and mesoporous particles. We derive how the extended and classical versions are interrelated and how to calculate them properly. We next analyze various numerical approaches used to calculate classical G-PSDs and may be used to calculate the generalized G-PSD. To this end, we propose a simple yet sufficiently complicated benchmark for which we calculate the different PSDs analytically. This approach allows us to completely rule out a recently proposed algorithm based on radical Voronoi tessellation. Instead, we find and prove that the output of a grid-free classical Voronoi tessellation, namely, the properties of its triangulated faces, can be used to formulate an algorithm, which is capable of calculating the generalized G-PSD for a system of monodisperse spherical particles (or points) to any precision, using analytical expressions. The Voronoi-based algorithm developed and provided here has optimal scaling behavior and outperforms grid-based approaches.

Mechanical properties and pore size distribution in athermal porous glasses

We study the mechanical properties and pore structure in a three-dimensional molecular dynamics model of porous glass under athermal quasistatic shear. The vitreous samples are prepared by rapid thermal quenching from a high-temperature molten state. The pore structures form via solid-gas phase separation. The quiescent samples exhibit a wide range of pore topography, from inter-connected pore networks to randomly distributed compact pores depending on the material density. We find that the shear modulus strongly depends on the density and porosity. Under mechanical loading, the pore structure rearranges which is reflected in the pore size distribution function. Our results show that with increase in strain the distribution widens as the adjacent pores coalesce and form larger pores. We also propose a universal scaling law for the pore size distribution function which offers excellent data collapse for highly porous materials in the undeformed case. From the data scaling, we identify a critical density that can be attributed to the transition point from a porous-type to bulk-type material. The validity of the scaling law under finite deformation is also analyzed.

Violation of Stokes-Einstein and Stokes-Einstein-Debye relations in polymers at the gas-supercooled liquid coexistence

Molecular dynamics simulations are performed on a system of model linear polymers to look at the violations of Stokes-Einstein (SE) and Stokes-Einstein-Debye (SED) relations near the mode coupling theory transition temperatureT_cat three (one higher and two lower) densities. At low temperatures, both lower density systems show stable gas-supercooled-liquid coexistence whereas the higher density system is homogeneous. We show that monomer density relaxation exhibits SE violation for all three densities, whereas molecular density relaxation shows a weak violation of the SE relation nearT_cin both lower density systems. This study identifies disparity in monomer mobility and observation of jumplike motion in the typical monomer trajectories resulting in the SE violations. In addition to the SE violation, a weak SED violation is observed in the gas-supercooled-liquid coexisting domains of the lower densities. Both lower density systems also show a decoupling of translational and rotational dynamics in this polymer system.