Dynamics of an assembly of finite-size Lennard-Jones spheres

The time-averaged Fourier spectra of the number density, velocity, and force fields are obtained numerically for an assembly of spherical particles interacting via the Lennard-Jones potential. The magnitude spectra determine the dominant wave numbers, and the phase difference between the Lennard-Jones force and number density spectra determines the nature of the particle dynamics. The latter is used to show that for every wave number k there is a critical frequency [Formula Presented](k), such that when ω<[Formula Presented](k) the phase difference is π/2 and when ω≳[Formula Presented](k) the phase difference is -π/2. The ratio of the frequency and the wave number at which the phase difference changes sign is used to define an effective sound speed for the particle system. The effective sound speed is shown to be a function of the dimensionless wave number, and is locally minimum at the same dimensionless wave numbers for which the static structure factor is minimum. It is also shown that the dynamical response of the particle system for waves with speeds greater than the effective sound speed is similar to the response of the hyperbolic systems of equations, and for waves with speeds smaller than the effective sound speed the response is similar to the response of the elliptic systems. The convection effects are shown to be of the same order of magnitude as the Lennard-Jones forces, and the change of type of the equations from hyperbolic to elliptic occurs when the magnitude of the convection term is comparable to the magnitude of the Lennard-Jones force term. It is also shown that the change of type cannot occur in a theory where the convection term is neglected.