A search for static structure changes in disordered systems in connection with atomic mobility changes

A study is performed on two types of static structures for disordered systems: one consists of atomic configurations of a Lennard-Jones liquid on either side of the ergodicity transition and the other of atomic configurations for as-quenched and annealed amorphous Pd sub 52 Ni sub 32 P sub 16 , derived from experimental diffraction data by the Reverse Monte Carlo technique. The static structures are analyzed in order to find features that can be connected to the differences in atomic mobility. In amorphous PdNiP a free-volume effect is observable in both systems the irregularity of the nearest-neighbor shells is affected in a similar manner. This parameter was seen to be important for the atomic mobility in an earlier study.