DOI: 10.1146/annurev-conmatphys-030212-184329. Glass Transition Thermodynamics and Kinetics

Glass Transition Thermodynamics and Kinetics

10.1146/annurev-conmatphys-030212-184329

Crossref journal-article

Annual Reviews

Annual Review of Condensed Matter Physics (22)

Abstract

The remarkable kinetic slowdown experienced by liquids as they are cooled toward their glass transition is not accompanied by any obvious structural change. Understanding the origin of this behavior is a major scientific challenge. At present, this area of condensed matter theory is characterized by an abundance of divergent viewpoints that attempt to describe well-defined physical phenomena. We review representative theoretical views on the unusual kinetics of liquid supercooling, which fall into two broad competing categories: thermodynamic and kinetic. In the former, an apparent “ideal,” thermodynamic, glass transition caused by rapid loss of entropy in the supercooled liquid underlies kinetic slowdown; in the latter, purely kinetic constraints are responsible for loss of ergodicity. The possible existence of an ideal thermodynamic glass transition is discussed and placed in its proper statistical mechanical context.

Bibliography

Stillinger, F. H., & Debenedetti, P. G. (2013). Glass Transition Thermodynamics and Kinetics. Annual Review of Condensed Matter Physics, 4(1), 263â285.

Authors 2

Frank H. Stillinger (first)
Pablo G. Debenedetti (additional)

References 108 Referenced 239

Dates

Type	When
Created	12 years, 7 months ago (Jan. 8, 2013, 11:51 p.m.)
Deposited	1 year, 3 months ago (May 4, 2024, 9:41 a.m.)
Indexed	42 minutes ago (Aug. 30, 2025, 11:54 a.m.)
Issued	12 years, 4 months ago (April 1, 2013)
Published	12 years, 4 months ago (April 1, 2013)
Published Print	12 years, 4 months ago (April 1, 2013)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{Stillinger_2013, title={Glass Transition Thermodynamics and Kinetics}, volume={4}, ISSN={1947-5462}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev-conmatphys-030212-184329}, DOI={10.1146/annurev-conmatphys-030212-184329}, number={1}, journal={Annual Review of Condensed Matter Physics}, publisher={Annual Reviews}, author={Stillinger, Frank H. and Debenedetti, Pablo G.}, year={2013}, month=apr, pages={263–285} }

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  "abstract": "<jats:p>The remarkable kinetic slowdown experienced by liquids as they are cooled toward their glass transition is not accompanied by any obvious structural change. Understanding the origin of this behavior is a major scientific challenge. At present, this area of condensed matter theory is characterized by an abundance of divergent viewpoints that attempt to describe well-defined physical phenomena. We review representative theoretical views on the unusual kinetics of liquid supercooling, which fall into two broad competing categories: thermodynamic and kinetic. In the former, an apparent \u201cideal,\u201d thermodynamic, glass transition caused by rapid loss of entropy in the supercooled liquid underlies kinetic slowdown; in the latter, purely kinetic constraints are responsible for loss of ergodicity. The possible existence of an ideal thermodynamic glass transition is discussed and placed in its proper statistical mechanical context.</jats:p>",
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