Equilibrium distribution of the inherent states and their dynamics in glassy systems and granular media

¹ Dipartimento di Fisica, Università “Federico II”, INFM and INFN Napoli Via Cintia, 80126 Napoli, Italy
² Department of Mathematics, Imperial College - London, SW7 2BZ, UK

Received: 22 April 2002
Accepted: 5 June 2002

Abstract

The present paper proposes a Statistical Mechanics approach to the inherent states of glassy systems and granular materials, following the original ideas developed by Edwards for granular materials. Two lattice models, a diluted spin glass and a system of hard spheres under gravity, introduced in the context of glassy systems and granular materials, are evolved using a “tap dynamics” analogous to that of experiments on granular materials. The asymptotic macrostates, reached by the system, are shown to be described by a single thermodynamical parameter, and this parameter to coincide with the temperature, called the “configurational temperature”, predicted assuming that the distribution among the inherent states satisfies the principle of maximum entropy.