Long-time tails in angular momentum correlations

Abstract

We compare computer simulation results for the angular velocity autocorrelation function (AVACF) of a colloidal particle with theoretical predictions. We consider both spherical and nonspherical particles in two and three dimensions. The theoretical prediction for the long-time decay of the AVACF in three dimensions is well known, here we also give the two-dimensional result, along with a sketch of how it was derived. For spherical particles we find excellent agreement between the simulations results and theoretical predictions in both two and three dimensions. We also find that the same expressions apply to the nonspherical particles when the particles have had time to undergo a significant angular displacement. This observation is again in agreement with theory.