Competition between glass transition and liquid-gas separation in attracting colloids

Abstract

We present simulation results addressing the phenomenon of colloidal gelation induced by attractive interactions. The liquid-gas transition is prevented by the glass arrest at high enough attraction strength, resulting in a colloidal gel. The dynamics of the system is controlled by the glass, with little effect of the liquid-gas transition. When the system separates into liquid and vapour phases, even if the denser phase enters the non-ergodic region, the vapour phase enables the structural relaxation of the system as a whole. © IOP Publishing Ltd.