Hard spheres confined to long, narrow, cylindrical channels spontaneously form helical structures. We use molecular dynamics simulation to show that the thermodynamics, structure and dynamics of these systems are dominated by the presence of topological defects that reverse the local twist direction of the helix. The equilibrium fluid exhibits two heat capacity maxima related to structural...
Liquid water exhibits a large number of unusual properties, many of which become pronounced in cold and supercooled water, such as the density maximum at 4 C. Based on computer simulations, it has been proposed that a liquid-liquid phase transition (LLPT) occurs in supercooled water, in which two phases of liquid water become distinct below a critical point currently estimated to occur at...
Granular materials, ranging from rice and sand to fine powders, and their large-scale manifestations such as earthquakes, landslides, and avalanches, are simultaneously commonplace and deceptively complex. These complex systems exist at the boundary between solid-like and fluid-like, and they are often highly nonlinear, dissipative, and at the edge of stability. Additionally, these materials...
