A family of liquids called ‘supercooled liquids’ are unable to figure out how to crystallize if the temperature is lowered quickly enough. Molecules in a supercooled liquid move absurdly slowly as they cool further past their freezing point. What causes these molecules to slow down instead of freezing, allowing solid properties to emerge out of dynamics rather than structure? By analyzing the ‘potential energy landscape’ of supercooled liquids to find the most efficient possible molecular motion, Andrew’s project will shed light on the origin of the slow dynamics.

Advisor: Richard Stratt