Title: Progress in Enumerating Sticky Sphere Packings

Author (Talk): Robert Hoy, Yale University

Abstract:

Sphere packing underlies areas of science ranging from cluster physics and jamming to nano-self-assembly and protein folding. We describe recent progress in exactly enumerating packings of "sticky" spheres with hard-core repulsions and contact attractions (see e. g. Arkus et. al, PRL, 2009 and Hoy et. al., PRL, 2010). Development of a complete set of geometrical rejection rules for packings of N <= 9 particles and an efficient structure solver for hyperstatic packings with N > 9 particles has facilitated complete enumeration for N <= 11 particles and partial enumeration for larger systems. As N increases, the minimal energy packings become increasingly hyperstatic and symmetric, while non-minimal-energy packings become increasingly asymmetric and entropically favored.