Ultra-long-range dynamic correlations in a microscopic model for aging gels

Pinaki Chaudhuri , Ludovic Berthier (1)

1 L2C - Laboratoire Charles Coulomb

We use large-scale computer simulations to explore the non-equilibrium aging dynamics in a microscopic model for colloidal gels. We find that gelation resulting from a kinetically-arrested phase separation is accompanied by `anomalous' particle dynamics revealed by superdiffusive particle motion and compressed exponential relaxation of time correlation functions. Spatio-temporal analysis of the dynamics reveals intermittent heterogeneities producing spatial correlations over extremely large length scales. Our study is the first microscopically-resolved model reproducing all features of the spontaneous aging dynamics observed experimentally in soft materials.

Domaines: Matière Molle [cond-mat.soft]

Pinaki Chaudhuri, Ludovic Berthier. Ultra-long-range dynamic correlations in a microscopic model for aging gels. Physical Review E : Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics, 2017, 95, pp.060601. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevE.95.060601⟩. ⟨hal-01585104⟩