title: A systematic enumeration of local topological relaxation mechanisms in amorphous networks and their efficiency in network relaxation.
abstract: We consider the infinite hierarchy of local collective rearrangements on bond networks that preserves the valency of each atom and explicitly enumerate those involving 4, 5, and 6 particles. The only 4-particle rearrangement is identical to the Wooten-Winer-Weaire (WWW) mechanism. Each rearrangement mechanism is applied in a Monte Carlo (MC) algorithm in order to determine the rate at which it equilibrate a network and relax the structure at equilibrium. At low temperature the 4-particle mechanism provides the fastest relaxation rate but we find that there is a crossover with increasing temperature to 5-particle mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, Building F11, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Harrowell