Collective Dynamics in Quasi-One-Dimensional Hard Disk System

Abstract

We present the results of molecular dynamic studies of collective dynamics in a system of hard disks confined to a narrow quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) channel. The computer simulations have been performed for the specific channel width of 3/2 of disk diameter in which the disk arrangement at close packing resembles zigzag ordering characteristic of a vertically oriented two-dimensional (2D) triangular lattice. In such a quasi-1D system, which is intermediate between 1D and 2D arrays of hard disks, the transverse excitations obey very specific dispersion law typical of the usual optical transverse modes. This is in a sharp contrast both to the 1D case, where transverse excitations are not possible, and to the 2D case, where the regular shear waves with a propagation gap were observed. Other peculiarities of the dispersion of collective excitations as well as some results of disk structuring and thermodynamics of the quasi-1D hard disk system are presented and discussed for a range of hard disk densities typical for fluid and distorted crystal states.