Structural relaxation in complex liquids: Non-Markovian dynamics in a bistable potential

Chaudhury, Srabanti and Cherayil, Binny J (2006) Structural relaxation in complex liquids: Non-Markovian dynamics in a bistable potential. In: Journal of Chemical Physics, 125 (18). 184505:1 -8.

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Abstract

The time correlation function C(t)[equivalent]<x(0)x(t)> of the distance fluctuations of a particle moving in a bistable potential under the action of fractional Gaussian noise (fGn) is calculated from a Smoluchowski-type equation derived from a generalized Langevin equation (GLE). The time derivative of this function, dC(t)/dt, is compared with data from optical Kerr effect measurements of liquid crystal dynamics in the vicinity of the isotropic-to-nematic transition, which are related to the time derivative of an orientational correlation function. A number of characteristic features of the experimental decay curves, including short and intermediate time power law behavior and long time exponential relaxation, are qualitatively reproduced by the analytical calculations, even though the latter do not explicitly treat orientational degrees of freedom. The GLE formalism with fGn was, in fact, originally proposed as a model of protein conformational fluctuations, so the present results suggest that it may also serve more generally as a model of structural relaxation in complex condensed phase media.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Journal of Chemical Physics
Publisher:	American Institute of Physics
Additional Information:	Copyright of this article belongs to American Institute of Physics.
Department/Centre:	Division of Chemical Sciences > Inorganic & Physical Chemistry
Date Deposited:	12 May 2008
Last Modified:	19 Sep 2010 04:44
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/13968

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