Theoretical Study of Glass Transition Based on Cluster Variation Method

Abstract. Modeling of Glass transition is attempted based on the Cluster Variation Method. Free energy functional of an L10 ordered phase is employed to describe the first order nature of the transition. Free energy contour surface calculated as a function of temperature and an order parameter which simulates an amount of defects provides a generalized stability diagram in which the ideal glass transition temperature is identified as a critical point. Transition kinetics is investigated by Path Probability Method which is the kinetics version of the CVM to time domain. Continuous cooling behavior is calculated by explicitly incorporating the temperature dependent viscosity term based on VFT (Vogel-Fulcher-Tamman) formula. The glass transition is realized as the freezing of the order parameter due to the enhanced viscosity. The extension of the present theoretical scheme to non-Bravais lattice is attempted by Continuous Cluster Variation Method