Rearrangement of two dimensional aggregates of droplets under compression: Signatures of the energy landscape from crystal to glass

This paper investigates the crystal-to-glass transition using a model system consisting of a two dimensional aggregate of oil droplets as disorder is progressively introduced. The authors find that even a small number of defects affects the mechanical properties of the aggregate, as the number of fracture events increases rapidly, while the magnitude of the force associated with those events decreases. A minimal theoretical model is introduced which captures the observed crystal-to-glass transition.