Percolation of Immobile Domains in Supercooled Thin Polymeric Films

Abstract

We present an analysis of heterogeneous dynamics in molecular dynamics simulations of a polymeric film supported by an absorbing surface. Using a bead-spring model for polymers, we show that slow, immobile beads occur throughout the film, with the probability of their occurrence decreasing with distance from the substrate. Still, enough immobile beads are located near the free surface to cause them to percolate in the direction perpendicular to the substrate, at a temperature near the glass transition one. This result is consistent with a recent theoretical model of glass transition.