Nearly Logarithmic Decay of Correlations in Glass-Forming Liquids

Nearly logarithmic decay of correlations, which was observed for several supercooled liquids in optical-Kerr-effect experiments [ G. Hinze et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 84 2437 (2000); H. Cang et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 90 197401 (2003)], is explained within the mode-coupling theory for ideal glass transitions as a manifestation of the β-peak phenomenon. A schematic model, which describes the dynamics by only two correlators, one referring to density fluctuations and the other to the reorientational fluctuations of the molecules, yields for strong rotation-translation coupling response functions in agreement with those measured for benzophenone and Salol for the time interval extending from 2 ps to about 20 and 200 ns, respectively.