Glass transition behaviour In a voronoi model of cell tissues

• Main Author: Loh, Leon Yeong Wei
• Other Authors: Pica Ciamarra Massimo
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science::Physics
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/74107
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

In this final year project, we characterize the confluent polydisperse Voronoi model in the context of the glass transition. The Voronoi model is useful as a phenomenological approximation to the behaviour of real epithelial cells. Molecular dynamics simulations are carried out with temperature as a varying parameter and the preferred target shape index as a control parameter. This allows one to study the static and dynamical statistical properties in the temperature regime where mode-coupling theory is dominant. Both the dynamic and hexatic correlation lengths are found to have a negative relation with temperature. In contrast, the fragility of the polydisperse Voronoi model is demonstrated to be strong and independent of the preferred target shape index. A strong fragility corresponds to non-increasing potential energy barriers present within Goldstein's energy landscape. Finally, other measures unique only to the Voronoi model are carried out. The area and perimeter auto-correlation functions confirm ergodicity. An unexpected behaviour in the area radial correlation function might justify further investigations.