The microstructure and dynamics of a colloidal system interacting via short-ranged interparticle potential is studied by ultra-small-angle x-ray scattering and x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy. A colloidal gas-liquid type transition is induced when the short-ranged attractive interactions attain sufficient magnitude. The development of liquidlike structure is preceded by a systematic transition in the particle dynamics from diffusive to constrained motion and then completely frozen behavior. This demonstrates the existence of a jamming transition induced by strong short-ranged attractive interactions even at low packing fractions.

• Received 6 February 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.90.188301