Identification of time scales of the violation of the Stokes-Einstein relation in Yukawa liquids

Abstract: We investigate the origin of the violation of the Stokes-Einstein (SE) relation in two-dimensional Yukawa liquids. Using comprehensive molecular dynamics simulations, we identify the time scales supporting the violation of the SE relation $D\propto (\eta/T)^{-1}$, where $D$ is the self-diffusion coefficient and $\eta$ is the shear viscosity. We first compute the self-intermediate scattering function $F_s(k,t)$, the non-Gaussian parameter $\alpha_2$, and the autocorrelation function of the shear stress $C_{\eta}(t)$. The timescales obtained from these functions are included the structural relaxation time $\tau_{\alpha}$, the peak time of the non-Gaussian parameter $\tau_{\alpha_2}$, and the shear stress relaxation time $\tau_{\eta}$. We find that $\tau_{\eta}$ is coupled with $D$ for all temperatures indicating the SE preservation, however, $\tau_{\alpha}$ and $\tau_{\alpha_2}$ are decoupled with $D$ at low temperatures indicating the SE violation. Surprisingly, we find that the origins of this violation are related to the non-exponential behavior of the autocorrelation function of the shear stress and non-Gaussian behavior of the distribution function of particle displacements. These results confirm dynamic heterogeneity that occurs in two-dimensional Yukawa liquids that reflects the presence of regions in which dust particles move faster than the rest when the liquid cools to below the phase transition temperature.