Figure 1

(Color online) Correlation times $1∕\Gamma$ and exponents $\gamma$ as a function of age obtained from equal-age slice fits of the two-time correlation functions calculated for $QR=3$. The gray areas highlight the time intervals defined in the text as “early” (a), “full aging” (b), “intermediate” (c), and “late” (d) stages (dashed lines are guides for the eyes). Inset: Contour plot of the two-time correlations [Eq. (1)] showing here the transition to full aging. The black lines show a level corresponding to the full width at half maximum of the correlation functions.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 2

(Color online) Small-angle x-ray scattering profiles during the delayed sedimentation process: (a) early stages, (b) full aging, (c) intermediate stages, and (d) late stages. The black line shows a fit for the form factor of polydisperse hard-sphere colloids with a Schulz particle size distribution. The deviation between data and model at low $QR$ is due to the structure factor (shown in the inset) caused by interactions between the colloids. The dashed line is guide to the eye and has slope $-4$.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 3

(Color online) ISFs calculated for $QR=3.6$ (squares), 5.0 (crosses), 6.5 (triangles), 7.9 (circles), 9.3 (diamonds), and 10.7 (stars), and for four different time intervals: (a) early, (b) full aging, (c) intermediate, and (d) late stages; for clarity the ISFs have been multiplied by 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 4

(Color online) Kohlrausch exponent $\gamma$ as a function of $Q$ during the early (a), full aging (b), intermediate (c), and final (d) stages.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 5

(Color online) Reduced relaxation rate $\Gamma ∕{\Gamma }_0$ as a function of $Q$, and fits with power laws $\Gamma \propto Q^n$ for (a) early, (b) full aging, (c) intermediate, and (d) final stages. For clarity the curves have been multiplied by 1, 20, 100, and 1000, respectively.Reuse & Permissions