Inherent structures in models for fragile and strong glass

Abstract

An analysis of the dynamics is performed of exactly solvable models for fragile and strong glasses, exploiting the partitioning of the free-energy landscape in inherent structures. The results are compared with the exact solution of the dynamics, by employing the formulation of an effective temperature used in literature. Also, a statistical mechanics formulation is introduced, based upon general statistical considerations, which performs better. Though the considered models are conceptually simple, there is no limit in which the dynamics may be exactly described by a symbolic dynamics of the system moving through consistently weighted inherent structures.