Abstract
We study the dynamics of monodisperse hard ellipsoids via a new event-driven molecular dynamics algorithm as a function of volume fraction and aspect ratio . We evaluate the translational and the rotational diffusion coefficients and the associated isodiffusivity lines in the plane. We observe a decoupling of the translational and rotational dynamics which generates an almost perpendicular crossing of the and isodiffusivity lines. While the self-intermediate scattering function exhibits stretched relaxation, i.e., glassy dynamics, only for large and , the second order orientational correlator shows stretching only for large and small values. We discuss these findings in the context of a possible prenematic order driven glass transition.
- Received 11 April 2007
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.265702
©2007 American Physical Society