From inherent structures deformation to elastic heterogeneities

Abstract

Using a well defined 2d soft model glass in the framework of Molecular Dynamics simulations, the inherent structures are probed by means of the classical Isoconfigurational Ensemble and by the use of a recently developed deformation protocol that also aims to capture the Dynamical Heterogeneities (DH). Starting from the liquid state, the system is cooled towards the glassy state, and both methods are conjointly used in order to extract a length scale that fairly characterizes the DH. The characteristic length is shown to increase as the system falls out-off equilibrium and appears to converge to the length scale that characterizes the Elastic Heterogeneities (EH) of the materials in the very low temperature limit. This provides evidence of a relationship between DH and EH.