title: Mutual information reveals multiple structural relaxation mechanisms in a model glass former.
abstract: Among the key challenges to our understanding of solidification in the glass transition is that it is accompanied by little apparent change in structure. Recently, geometric motifs have been identified in glassy liquids, but a causal link between these motifs and solidification remains elusive. One 'smoking gun' for such a link would be identical scaling of structural and dynamic lengthscales on approaching the glass transition, but this is highly controversial. Here we introduce an information theoretic approach to determine correlations in displacement for particle relaxation encoded in the initial configuration of a glass-forming liquid. We uncover two populations of particles, one inclined to relax quickly, the other slowly. Each population is correlated with local density and geometric motifs. Our analysis further reveals a dynamic lengthscale similar to that associated with structural properties, which may resolve the discrepancy between structural and dynamic lengthscales.
authors.affiliation: 1] H.H. Wills Physics Laboratory, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK [2] School of Chemistry, Cantock's Close, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK [3] Bristol Centre for Complexity Sciences, Bristol BS8 1TW, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Dunleavy
authors.affiliation: 1] Bristol Centre for Complexity Sciences, Bristol BS8 1TW, UK [2] School of Mathematics, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TW, UK.
authors.forename: Karoline
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wiesner
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryoichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: 1] H.H. Wills Physics Laboratory, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK [2] School of Chemistry, Cantock's Close, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK [3] Centre for Nanoscience and Quantum Information, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1FD, UK.
authors.forename: C Patrick
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Royall