Computer Simulation Of Structure And Transport Properties In Silicate Glasses

Interest in understanding the properties of glasses has been long standing, but hampered because of the problems of determining the structure of glass experimentally. Computer simulations are appealing because they provide an atomistic description and picture of the structure, and because of its dynamic nature, can offer insights into the migration mechanisms operating in the glasses. The main concern, of course, is whether such simulations are reliable; in this respect, comparison of calculated results with experiment is crucial. This paper briefly reports on some recent results which have been obtained on mixed alkali glasses.