title: Phase-separation perspective on dynamic heterogeneities in glass-forming liquids.
abstract: We study dynamic heterogeneities in a model glass former whose overlap with a reference configuration is constrained to a fixed value. We find that the system phase separates into regions of small and large overlap, indicating that a nonzero surface tension plays an important role in the formation of dynamical heterogeneities. We calculate an appropriate thermodynamic potential and find evidence of a Maxwell construction consistent with a spinodal decomposition of two phases. Our results suggest that even in standard, unconstrained systems dynamic heterogeneities are the expression of an ephemeral phase-separating regime ruled by a finite surface tension.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Roma Sapienza, piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cammarota
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cavagna
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Giardina
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gradenigo
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Grigera
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Parisi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Verrocchio