Competition between glass transition and liquid-gas separation in attracting colloids

We present simulation results addressing the phenomenon of colloidal gelation induced by attractive interactions. The liquid-gas transition is prevented by the glass arrest at high enough attraction strength, resulting in a colloidal gel. The dynamics of the system is controlled by the glass, with little effect of the liquid gas transition. When the system separates into liquid and vapour phases, even if the denser phase enters the non-ergodic region, the vapour phase enables the structural relaxation of the system as a whole.