Molecular dynamics study of an amorphous Lennard-Jones system at low temperature

Abstract

Using molecular dynamics techniques, low temperature properties of a 500-particle amorphous system of Lennard-Jones particles have been studied. The system was prepared by rapid quenching of an originally liquid sample. The structural properties are similar to those of random close-packed hard spheres. Propagating longitudinal phonons are observed even at fairly short wavelengths and well defined transverse phonons are found at the longest wavelengths available. Some preliminary results for the ’’glass transition’’ region are reported.