Modified and generalized single-element Maxwell viscoelastic model

In this Letter, the single-element Maxwell model is generalized with respect to the wave vector and extended with a correction function that measures the reduced viscous response. This model has only two free parameters and avoids the attenuation-frequency locking present in the original model. Through molecular simulations it is shown that the model satisfactory predicts the transverse dynamics of the binary Lennard-Jones system at different temperatures, as well as water and toluene at ambient conditions. The correction function shows that the viscous response is significantly reduced compared to the predictions of the original Maxwell model and that there exists a characteristic length scale of minimum dissipation.