Kinetics of Glass Transition Simulated by Path Probability Method

Abstract

Kinetics of glass transition is simulated within the Path Probability Method (PPM) which is the natural extension of the Cluster Variation Method (CVM) to time domain. Temperature dependences of order parameter during continuous cooling are calculated as a function of cooling rate. When the temperature dependence of viscosity is introduced in the mobility term in the PPM, the order parameter is frozen as approaching the ideal glass transition temperature. Furthermore, a preliminary calculation which incorporates the cooling rate dependence into the viscosity reproduces the experimental tendency of the glass transition temperature. Together with the previous studies of thermodynamic frameworks of glass transition based on the CVM, it is confirmed that the combination of the CVM and PPM provides a unique theoretical tool to study glass transition in a consistent manner covering thermodynamics and kinetics.