Topologically induced glass transition in freely rotating rods

Abstract

We present a simple minimal model which allows numerical and analytical study of a glass transition. This is a model of rigid rods with fixed centers of rotation. The rods can rotate freely but cannot cross each other. The ratio L of the length of the rods to the distance between the centers of rotation is the only parameter of this model. With increasing L we observed a sharp crossover to practically infinite relaxation times in 2D arrays of rods. In 3D we found a real transition to a completely frozen random state at $L_{\rm c}\cong 4.5$.