Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jin, Sha, Fan, Xue, Baggioli, Matteo
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.09965
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866912284897443840
author Jin, Sha
Fan, Xue
Baggioli, Matteo
author_facet Jin, Sha
Fan, Xue
Baggioli, Matteo
contents The lack of a well-defined equilibrium reference configuration has long hindered a comprehensive atomic-level understanding of liquid dynamics and properties. The Instantaneous Normal Mode (INM) approach, which involves diagonalizing the Hessian matrix of potential energy in instantaneous liquid configurations, has emerged as a promising framework in this direction. However, several conceptual challenges remain, particularly related to the approach's inability to capture anharmonic effects. In this study, we present a set of "experimental facts" through a comprehensive INM analysis of simulated systems, including Ar, Xe, N$_2$, CS$_2$, Ga, and Pb, across a wide temperature range from the solid to gas phase. First, we examine the INM density of states (DOS) and compare it to the DOS obtained from the velocity auto-correlation function. We then analyze the temperature dependence of the fraction of unstable modes and the low-frequency slope of the INM DOS in search of potential universal behaviors. Furthermore, we explore the relationship between INMs and other properties of liquids, including the liquid-like to gas-like dynamical crossover and the momentum gap of collective shear waves. In addition, we investigate the INM spectrum at low temperatures as the system approaches the solid phase, revealing a significant fraction of unstable modes even in crystalline solids. Finally, we confirm the existence of a recently discussed cusp-like singularity in the INM eigenvalue spectrum and uncover its complex temperature-dependent behavior, challenging current theoretical models.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2409_09965
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Revisiting the question of what instantaneous normal modes tell us about liquid dynamics
Jin, Sha
Fan, Xue
Baggioli, Matteo
Soft Condensed Matter
The lack of a well-defined equilibrium reference configuration has long hindered a comprehensive atomic-level understanding of liquid dynamics and properties. The Instantaneous Normal Mode (INM) approach, which involves diagonalizing the Hessian matrix of potential energy in instantaneous liquid configurations, has emerged as a promising framework in this direction. However, several conceptual challenges remain, particularly related to the approach's inability to capture anharmonic effects. In this study, we present a set of "experimental facts" through a comprehensive INM analysis of simulated systems, including Ar, Xe, N$_2$, CS$_2$, Ga, and Pb, across a wide temperature range from the solid to gas phase. First, we examine the INM density of states (DOS) and compare it to the DOS obtained from the velocity auto-correlation function. We then analyze the temperature dependence of the fraction of unstable modes and the low-frequency slope of the INM DOS in search of potential universal behaviors. Furthermore, we explore the relationship between INMs and other properties of liquids, including the liquid-like to gas-like dynamical crossover and the momentum gap of collective shear waves. In addition, we investigate the INM spectrum at low temperatures as the system approaches the solid phase, revealing a significant fraction of unstable modes even in crystalline solids. Finally, we confirm the existence of a recently discussed cusp-like singularity in the INM eigenvalue spectrum and uncover its complex temperature-dependent behavior, challenging current theoretical models.
title Revisiting the question of what instantaneous normal modes tell us about liquid dynamics
topic Soft Condensed Matter
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.09965