Course Details
Subject {L-T-P / C} : PH6235 : Fundamentals of Soft Matter { 3-0-0 / 3}
Subject Nature : Theory
Coordinator : Prof. Sidhartha S. Jena
Syllabus
Introduction: Overview of Soft Matter, Similarity and dissimilarity of soft matter from condensed matter, Interaction energies, Different kinds of forces and bonds, Time and Length Scale. Phase behaviour and phase transitions, Thermal fluctuations and Brownian motion. Colloids: Introduction to colloids, Stokes law and Brownian motion, Forces governing the stability colloids, phase behaviour of colloids, Polymers: Introduction to polymers, statistics of polymer chains, polymer solutions, rubber elasticity, viscoelasticity of polymers, reputation model and scaling theory. Gels: Introduction to gels, Classes of gels, Theory of gelation, Percolation, Self-Assembly and supra-molecular structure, Soft matter in nature.
Course Objectives
- Introducing to the world of soft condensed matter physics
- Understanding the fundamentals of various soft matters like polymers, biopolymers, colloids and gels
- Soft matter and applications
Course Outcomes
By the end of the course students should be comfortably placed to start a research career in the exciting field of Soft Matter Physics
Essential Reading
- Richard A. L. Jones, Soft Condensed Matter, Oxford University Press, , 2002
- L. S. Hirst, Fundamentals of Soft Matter Science, CRC Press , 2013
Supplementary Reading
- R. Borsali and R. Pecora, Soft Matter Characterization, Springer , 2008
- W. C. K. Poon and D. Andelman, Soft Condensed Matter Physics in Molecular and Cell Biology, Taylor & Francis , 2006