Mathematical Physics Seminar (Nov 30th) – Dr Camille Scalliet – Thirty milliseconds in the life of a supercooled liquid

Abstract: Our understanding of the mechanism by which liquids transform into glasses is often described as a major open problem in condensed matter physics. In this talk, I will present very recent numerical developments which allow for the first time to investigate the slow dynamics of supercooled liquids close to the glass transition. I will describe the microscopic picture revealed by our computer simulations, and how they allow us to rationalize key experimental signatures of glassy dynamics. I will conclude by discussing the implications for theoretical descriptions of the glass transition.