| Unit name | Soft Condensed Matter Physics 311 |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHYS31112 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Nick Brook |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
The award of 120 credit points of units at level I comprising programme in Physics, Physics with Astrophysics, a joint honours programme in Mathematics and Physics or Physics and Philosophy, or a Chemical Physics programme |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Physics |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
This unit builds on the condensed matter parts of Core Physics 302 and 303 (PHYS30020 and PHYS30030) and provides a general introduction to the subject of Soft Condensed Matter. The course will cover the basic types of soft matter (polymers, liquid crystals and colloids) as follows: 1. Polymers: chain dimensions; solution properties: Flory-Huggins theory; theta temperature; rubbers and gels; glass formation and time-dependent properties; crystallisation and chain folding. 2. Liquid crystals: mesophases; nematic-isotropic transition; Frank elasticity; disclinations; influence of external fields and surfaces; liquid crystalline polymers and elastomers; amphiphilic systems. 3. Colloids: Stoke's law and Brownian motion; forces between particles; electrostatic screening; depletion interactions; stability and phase behaviour. 4. Finally the course will consider applications or examples of soft matter in nanotechnology and nature.
