Flow of supercooled liquids under dipolar force field

Abstract

The viscosity of supercooled liquids notably increases with decreasing temperature, leading to solidification through a glass transition. This process is accompanied by dynamic heterogeneity, characterized by persistent dynamic spatial correlations. This study investigates how dynamic heterogeneity influences the applicability of the Navier–Stokes equations to the flow of supercooled liquids. Utilizing molecular dynamics simulations, we subjected a two-dimensional supercooled liquid to a localized dipolar force field and compared the resulting steady velocity field with the prediction from the Navier–Stokes equations. Our approach captures a significant breakdown of the Navier–Stokes equations in real space; specifically, supercooled liquids flow more rapidly near the external force than the prediction from the Navier–Stokes equations. Furthermore, this deviation is enhanced by supercooling and is accompanied by the growth of dynamic heterogeneity.