The velocity and angular velocity autocorrelation functions obtained by molecular-dynamics simulations of liquids composed of hard spheroids indicate the existence of damped oscillations with periods as long as 40 times the mean time between molecular collisions. In addition, little correlation is found between successive collisions. This suggests that the damped oscillations are not due to semicoherent molecular librations in cells.

• Received 16 April 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.65.2828