Admission Requirements
none
Description
Soft and bio-mechanics
This course aims to provide an introduction to the mechanics of soft materials, of which biological materials are prominent examples. Soft materials are those that can be easily deformed by external stress, electromagnetic fields or thermal fluctuations: in other words everything that is wet, squishy or floppy.
Topics:
Elements of viscoelasticity
Walking on liquids and other exotic properties of viscoelastic fluids
Fundamental concepts of viscoelasticity
Maxwell and Kelvin-Voigt models
Time-dependent viscoelastic moduli
The Oldroyd-B model
Liquid CrystalsThe zoo of liquid crystals: nematics, smectics, cholesterics, hexatics and more
Frank elasticity
Equilibrium configuration in nematics
Topological defects in nematics
Coupling to external fields and the Fredericks transition
Nematodynamics
Active MatterRemarks on the physics of living systems
Collective behavior in animal groups: swarming/flocking/schooling and the Vicsek model
Collective behavior in robots and sperm
Active liquid crystals and the cell cytoskeleton
Spontaneous flow in active nematics
Active flow in proximity of topological defects
Cell mimicry in active droplets
Open problems
Mechanics of adherent cells
Actin cytoskeleton and cell adhesion
Basic concepts of cell motility
The Young-Laplace law and the contractile network model
Bending elasticity and the contractile film model
Course objectives
The course main objective is to provide the students with a solid core-knowledge on the mechanics of soft and biomaterials, such that, after the course, the students will have enough background to independently learn about these topics from the specialized literature. In order to encourage this latter aspect, the course will consist of a combination of lectures and seminars given by the students.
Timetable
Mode of instruction
Lectures and student seminars.
Assessment method
Final project (reading assignment) + oral presentation
Blackboard
To have access to Blackboard you need a ULCN-account.Blackboard UL
Reading list
The reading material will be handed to the stundents during the lectures.
Contact
Contactgegevens Docent:Dr. L.Giomi (Luca)