Is Random Close Packing of Spheres Well Defined?

2000/03/06 by Salvatore Torquato, Thomas M. Truskett, Pablo G. Debenedetti · 9 citations
Engineering · Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Algorithm #Atomic packing factor #Computer science #Hard spheres #Material Dynamics and Properties #Packing problems #Phase Equilibria and Thermodynamics #Physics #Quantum mechanics #SPHERES #State (computer science) #Statistical physics #Theoretical and Computational Physics #cond-mat.mtrl-sci #cond-mat.stat-mech

paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.84.2064

published as Physical Review Letters 84, 2064-2067 (2000) · 6 pages total, 2 figures

openalex publication_date 2000/03/06 · arxiv created 2000/03/25 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

Despite its long history, there are many fundamental issues concerning random packings of spheres that remain elusive, including a precise definition of random close packing (RCP). We argue that the current picture of RCP cannot be made mathematically precise and support this conclusion via a molecular dynamics study of hard spheres using the Lubachevsky-Stillinger compression algorithm. We suggest that this impasse can be broken by introducing the new concept of a maximally random jammed state, which can be made precise.

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