Physics Department Faculty Search Candidate, "Perturbed Dynamics of Soft Materials," by Dr. Chanjoong Kim, Harvard University

Science / Technology - Colloquium

Wednesday, February 13, 2008
4:00 PM-5:00 PM

Olin Hall
107

Soft matter is neither simple liquid nor crystalline solid, but in an in-between state, including bio materials, lipid membranes, liquid crystals, and colloidal suspensions. We are in fact familiar with soft matter from every-day life - paints, cheese, foams, or liquid crystal display - and are also made of soft matter. In contrast to hard condensed matter, soft matter is easily perturbed by a small stress, which also affects its dynamics and mechanical properties. I will discuss our recent findings on the perturbed dynamics of two soft materials; a colloidal glass and a gel. We find that diffusive behavior of colloidal particles is recovered by application of perturbation to a glassy system. These model systems may provide a valuable insight to the biological systems.

Cost: FREE

Suggested Audiences: College

E-mail: sak@wpi.edu
Phone: 508-831-5090

Last Modified: February 4, 2008 at 2:02 PM

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