Nonlinear equilibrium density fluctuations and spatial heterogeneities near the colloidal glass transition

Slow dynamics of equilibrium hard-sphere colloidal suspensions near the glass transition is discussed from a new viewpoint by numerically solving a cubic nonlinear stochastic diffusion equation for the density fluctuation recently proposed by one of the present authors (MT). The important role of the spatial heterogeneities near the glass transition is pointed out. Those heterogeneities, which originate from the long-range hydrodynamic interactions between colloids, are shown to be responsible for the slow relaxations of density fluctuations. Main results are also compared with those in nonequilibrium suspensions.