Diffusivity of the hard-sphere model in the region of fluid metastability

Abstract

New data are analyzed for the hard-sphere fluid at densities ρσ3=0.95-1.08 in the metastable range. In this region the diffusion coeffiecient behaves as in laboratory fluids, following a Doolittle equation with normal parameters rather than a Batchinski-Hildebrand equation. The diffusing, internally equilibrated, metastable fluid can be arrested at different densities by sudden "quenching" to obtain the glassy state. A new high-density limit for random close packing, 3% greater than that of Bernal packing, is identified. © 1981 The American Physical Society.