Experimental and Computational Techniques in Soft Condensed Matter Physics

✍ Scribed by Olafsen J. (ed.)

• Publisher: CUP
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 340
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Soft condensed matter physics relies on a fundamental understanding at the interface between physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering for a host of materials and circumstances that are related to, but outside, the traditional definition of condensed matter physics. Featuring contributions from leading researchers in the field, this book uniquely discusses both the contemporary experimental and computational manifestations of soft condensed matter systems. From particle tracking and image analysis, novel materials and computational methods, to confocal microscopy and bacterial assays, this book will equip the reader for collaborative and interdisciplinary research efforts relating to a range of modern problems in nonlinear and non-equilibrium systems. It will enable both graduate students and experienced researchers to supplement a more traditional understanding of thermodynamics and statistical systems with knowledge of the techniques used in contemporary investigations. Color versions of a selection of the figures are available at www.cambridge.org/9780521115902.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
Contents......Page 9
Contributors......Page 10
1.1 Introduction......Page 13
1.2 Video microscopy......Page 15
1.3 Confocal microscopy......Page 17
1.4.2 Weaknesses of optical microscopy......Page 19
1.4.3 Tradeoffs when doing optical microscopy......Page 21
1.5 Particle tracking......Page 23
1.6.1 Structure of colloidal glasses......Page 25
1.6.2 Dynamics of colloidal glasses......Page 26
1.6.3 Microrheology: determining macroscopic properties from microscopic measurements......Page 28
1.6.4 Flow fields......Page 30
Acknowledgments......Page 32
References......Page 33
2.1 Introduction......Page 37
2.2.1 Isotropic compression......Page 38
2.2.2 Applied shear strain......Page 42
2.2.3 Other important variables......Page 46
2.2.3.1 Particle shape......Page 47
2.2.3.2 Contact distance for ellipsoidal particles......Page 48
2.2.3.3 Particle shape annealing......Page 53
2.2.4 Distributions of jamming onsets......Page 54
2.3 Mechanical stability......Page 55
2.4.1 Contact number......Page 58
2.4.2 Pair distribution function and structure factor......Page 59
2.4.3 Order parameters......Page 62
2.4.4 Correlation functions and lengths......Page 64
2.4.5 Bulk and shear moduli......Page 68
Acknowledgments......Page 70
References......Page 71
3.1 Introduction......Page 74
3.2 Overview of particulate gels......Page 75
3.3 Structure of particulate gels......Page 78
3.4 Viscoelasticity of particulate gels......Page 86
3.5 Gelation and arrested phase-separation dynamics......Page 90
3.6 Bicontinuous solid networks from arrested phase separation......Page 94
3.7 Stress and structure in compressed emulsions......Page 97
References......Page 100
4.1 Introduction......Page 109
4.2 Monolayer basics......Page 110
4.2.1 Langmuir trough......Page 111
4.2.2 Cleaning procedures......Page 114
4.2.3 Solution preparation......Page 116
4.3 Phase characterization......Page 117
4.3.1 Isotherms......Page 119
4.3.2 Optical measures......Page 122
4.4 Mechanical properties......Page 125
References......Page 128
5.1 Introduction......Page 133
5.2 Rheology of granular media......Page 134
5.3 Force model......Page 135
5.4.1 Constitutive relations for inclined plane flows......Page 139
5.4.2 Simulations of inclined plane flows......Page 141
5.4.3 Steady flows......Page 143
5.4.4 Microscopics......Page 145
5.4.5 Rheology......Page 147
5.4.6 Analogy to dense fluids......Page 148
5.4.7 Approach to jamming......Page 151
5.5 Summary......Page 153
References......Page 155
6.1 Introduction......Page 159
6.2 Shear rheometry......Page 164
6.3 Microrheology......Page 175
6.4 Summary......Page 188
References......Page 189
7.1 Introduction......Page 192
7.2.1 Film versus pixels......Page 193
7.2.2 Noise and imaging errors......Page 194
7.3 Particle image velocimetry......Page 195
7.3.2 Basic PIV algorithm......Page 196
7.3.3 Error control......Page 198
7.3.4 Applicability and limitations......Page 199
7.3.6 Particle Tracking Velocimetry......Page 200
7.4 Particle tracking and Lagrangian measurement......Page 201
7.4.1 Tracer identification......Page 202
7.4.2 Basic algorithm: nearest-neighbor tracking......Page 205
7.4.3 Predictive algorithms......Page 207
7.4.4 Error control......Page 209
7.4.5 Extensions......Page 211
7.4.6 Field measurements......Page 212
7.5.1 Stereoimaging......Page 213
7.5.2 Tomography......Page 214
7.5.4 Limitations......Page 215
7.6.2 Measurement of additional quantities......Page 216
7.6.4 Conclusions......Page 217
References......Page 218
8.1 Introduction......Page 221
8.2 History......Page 222
8.3 Surface flow models......Page 223
8.4.1 Probabilistic models......Page 228
8.4.2 Momentum models......Page 229
8.4.3 Energy and interaction models......Page 231
8.5 Hybrid models......Page 236
8.6 Optimizations......Page 237
References......Page 238
9.1 Introduction......Page 242
9.2 Theory......Page 245
9.3 Experimental methods......Page 249
9.4.1 G-squared calibration......Page 251
9.4.2 The inverse problem......Page 253
9.5 Photoelastic measurements in granular media......Page 255
9.6 Conclusions......Page 256
References......Page 257
10.1 Introduction......Page 260
10.2 Image acquisition......Page 261
10.3 Lighting......Page 262
10.4 Particle identification......Page 265
10.4.1 Resolution......Page 266
10.4.2 Smoothing......Page 267
10.4.3 Peak detection......Page 268
10.4.4 Convolutions......Page 269
10.4.5 Error checking......Page 271
10.4.6 Sub-pixel resolution......Page 273
10.4.7 Momentum filtering......Page 274
10.5 Data analysis......Page 276
10.6 Incorporating undergraduates into soft condensed matter research......Page 278
10.6.1 The two-year plan/three-year plan......Page 280
10.6.2 Student outcomes......Page 285
References......Page 287
11.1 Introduction......Page 291
11.2 Phenomenology of bacteria in and on agar......Page 292
11.2.1 Chemotactic patterns......Page 293
11.2.2 Colony morphology......Page 294
11.2.3 Swarming......Page 297
11.3 Modeling......Page 300
11.3.1 Chemotactic patterns......Page 301
11.3.2.1 Diffusion–reaction......Page 305
11.3.2.2 Diffusion-limited aggregation......Page 308
11.3.3 Swarming......Page 310
11.3.4 Comments......Page 312
11.4.1 Optical microscopy......Page 313
11.4.2 Fluorescent reporters......Page 316
11.4.3 Infrared and Raman spectroscopy......Page 319
11.4.4 Other techniques......Page 321
11.4.5 Single-cell measurements......Page 323
11.5 Comments......Page 324
References......Page 327
Index......Page 338