course-details-portlet

TFY4203 - Soft Condensed Matter

About

Examination arrangement

Examination arrangement: Oral examination
Grade: Letter grades

Evaluation Weighting Duration Grade deviation Examination aids
Oral examination 100/100

Course content

The physics of soft matter involves matter that is easily deformable by external fields such as applied stresses or mechanical confinement, by electric or magnetic fields, or simply by thermal fluctuations,

The "level of description" for soft and complex materials (in this context, "material" is a sub-area of the more general term "matter") typically starts at the nano scale, i.e. at scales much larger than atomic or molecular scales, and the structure and dynamics at the nano scale determine macroscopic physical properties at the human or geological scale.

Soft matter science also includes so-called active matter, which involves cooperative flocking or swarming of "active particles", that can be entities (individuals) "living" at the nano-scale (e.g. virus), at the micro-scale (e.g. bacteria), or at the macro-scale (e.g. birds or fish). One overall goal of research into the growing field of soft matter science is thus to probe and understand the relationship between individual scale and cooperative scale physics.

Materials under study include both natural, synthetic and biological materials, and the broad range of research interests range from fundamental physics to technological applications, from basic materials questions to problems related to energy technology cosmetics, household products, agriculture, food, design of nano-structured materials or surfaces, biological systems and materials, etc.

Themes of focus in the course are decided before semester-start and depends on for example the scientific areas of interest for participating students, and which international experts are available for guest lectures one given semester.

The following general and popularized literature may be recommended as background:

0) wikipedia

1) www.softcomlab.com

2) http://soft-matter.seas.harvard.edu/index.php/What_is_soft_matter

Learning outcome

The student is expected to obtain a theoretical understanding of the physics of soft and complexcondensed matter, from nanoparticles and interactions on the nanoscale to soft materials dynamics andstability on the macro scale. Further, obtain a theoretical and partly practical insight into parts of someexperimental techniques that are relevant for studies of soft material physics, such as microscopy,scattering techniques (light, X-ray. neutron), rheometry, microfluidics, nanofluidics and special purposetable-top" experiments. Numerical examples are part of the course.

Learning methods and activities

Guided self study, lectures given by the course professors and by invited international experts, colloquiagiven by students, groupwork that can be laboratory based, written home exam.In certain semesters a remote PhD School such as the Geilo PhD Schools will be part of the lectures.

Compulsory assignments

  • Obligatorisk rapport

Further on evaluation

The final grade is based on an oral exam. In order to take the exam an obligatory written report must be handed in and approved.

Course materials

The course material will be decided before semester start, and will in addition to recently published scientific papers, be collected mainly from:

Essentials of Soft Matter Science, Francoise Brochard-Wyart, Pierre Nassoy, Pierre-Henri Puech, CRC Press, 2019

Biomedical Fluid Dynamics: Flow and Form, Troy Shinbrot, Oxford University Press 2019

Capillarity and wetting phenomena : drops, bubbles, pearls, waves., David Quéré, Pierre-Gilles de Gennes; Françoise Brochard-Wyart; New York, NY: Springer 2010

Introduction to Microfluidics, Patrick Tabeling, Oxford University Press, 2010

Condensed Matter Physics, Crystals, Liquids, Liquid Crystals, and Polymers, Gert R. Strobl, Springer 2004

Supported by literature such as:

Soft Matter Physics, Masao Doi, Oxford University Press 2014

Nanofluidics and Microfluidics, Shaurya Prakash and Junghoon Yeom, William Andrew, 2014

Fundamentals of Soft Matter Science, Linda S. Hirst, CRC Press 2012

Structured Fluids: Polymers, Colloids, Surfactants, Thomas A. Witten, Oxford University Press, 2004

Credit reductions

Course code Reduction From To
FY8203 7.5 AUTUMN 2022
More on the course

No

Facts

Version: 1
Credits:  7.5 SP
Study level: Second degree level

Coursework

Term no.: 1
Teaching semester:  SPRING 2024

Language of instruction: English, Norwegian

Location: Trondheim

Subject area(s)
  • Materials Science and Engineering
  • Energy- and Environmental Physics
  • Polymer Physics
  • Thermodynamics
  • Materials Science and Solid State Physics
  • Biophysics
  • Petroleum Engineering
  • Applied Mechanics - Fluid Mechanics
  • Solid State Physics
  • Biology
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Chemistry and processing
Contact information
Course coordinator: Lecturer(s):

Department with academic responsibility
Department of Physics

Examination

Examination arrangement: Oral examination

Term Status code Evaluation Weighting Examination aids Date Time Examination system Room *
Spring ORD Oral examination 100/100
Room Building Number of candidates
Summer UTS Oral examination 100/100
Room Building Number of candidates
  • * The location (room) for a written examination is published 3 days before examination date. If more than one room is listed, you will find your room at Studentweb.
Examination

For more information regarding registration for examination and examination procedures, see "Innsida - Exams"

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