Physics seminar Sept. 16 on “Soft Matter Physics”
A physics seminar on “Soft Matter Physics: Hard Challenges Ahead” will be held Friday, Sept. 16 from 2:30 to 3:20 p.m. in Hagen Hall 325. The speaker is Alan Denton from the NDSU Department of Physics
Soft materials, such as clays, gels, foams, and biomaterials, typically comprise giant molecules. Weak and tunable forces between polymer coils, amphiphilic chains, and colloidal particles give soft materials their characteristic mechanical fragility and rich thermal and optical properties. Polymers are ubiquitous as rubbers, plastics, and fabrics. Biopolymers (proteins, DNA) and lipids (biomembranes) are the very stuff of life. Liquid crystals lurk behind flat panel displays, while colloids surround us, disguised as paints, foods, and pharmaceuticals. In the quest to understand and control the remarkable properties of soft matter, experiment and modeling play essential and intertwining roles. After introducing the physics of soft matter, I will focus on some of the practical applications and grand challenges for future multidisciplinary research.