Structure and dynamics of screened-Coulomb colloidal liquids

Abstract

The pair correlation function and the velocity autocorrelation function of screened-Coulomb colloidal liquids, interacting via the Derjaguin-Landau-Verweg-Overbeek potential, are calculated using molecular dynamics. Examination of the structure reveals liquidlike behavior even at the lowest density which corresponds to a volume fraction less than ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$. The calculated radial distribution functions are in excellent agreement with experiment. The velocity autocorrelation function exhibits distinct oscillations at all densities, which indicates that the motion of a single particle is very strongly coupled to the collective modes of the screened-Coulomb colloidal liquid.