SOFT MATTER PHYSICS

Academic year
2017/2018 Syllabus of previous years
Official course title
FISICA DELLA MATERIA SOFFICE
Course code
CM0391 (AF:230502 AR:111801)
Modality
On campus classes
ECTS credits
6
Degree level
Master's Degree Programme (DM270)
Educational sector code
FIS/03
Period
Annual
Course year
2
Where
VENEZIA
Moodle
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The aim of this course is to introduce the basic physical concepts arising in Soft Matter. More specifically, the connection with systems known to the students from previous courses in Chemistry and Biology, will be reformulated in terms of physics problems, so that their multidisciplinary characters will be emphasized. Particular emphasis will be devoted to their application to novel materials. Numerical applications and Computational Techniques will also be discussed within specific practical sections in the Computer rooms
Strudents are requested to have knowledge of topics treated in the Course of Mathematical Methods for Physics (mandatory) and Condensed Matter Physics (desirable).
Outline of the Course
1. Statistical mechanics
2. Phase transitions
3. Structure and thermodynamics of liquids
4. Theoretical approaches and computer simulations
5. Colloidal systems
6. Polymers
7. Liquids crystals
8. Proteins
9. DNA
General part, fluids, colloidal systems
• 530.13KARDM M. Kardar Statistical Physics of Particles (Cambridge Univ. Press 2007)
• 547.7HAMLI Hampley Introduction of Soft Matter (Wiley 2002)
• 541.3FUNIC1 Lyklema, Fundamental of interfaces and colloidal science Vol 1-5 (Academic 1991)
• 530.413.FOFTM Gompper, Schick, Soft Matter Vol 1-3 (Wiley 2006)
• 530.4 HANSJP Hansen, MCDonald Theory of Simple Liquids (Academic 2006)
• 530.42.BARRJ Barrat, Hansen, Basic Concepts for Simple and Complex Liquids (Cambridge 2003)

Metodi numerici e computazionali /Numerical and Computational techniques
• 532.01ALLENMP Allen, Tildesley Computer Simulations of Liquids (Clarendon 1987)
• 539.6FREND Frenkel, Smit Molecular Simulations (Academic 2002)

Polymers
• LT547.7.DOIM Doi, Edwards, Theory of Polymer Dynamics (Oxford, 1986)
• 530.41RUBIC Rubinstein, Colby Polymer Physics (Oxford 2003)

Liquid Crystals
• 530.429 GENNPF de Gennes, Prost The Physics of Liquid Crystals (Oxford 1993
• 530.41 CHAIPM Chaikin, Lubensky Principles of Condensed Matter Physics (Cambridge 1995)

Proteins and DNA
• 574.19FINKAV Finkelstein, Ptitsyn Protein Physics (Academic Press 2002)
• 574.1.CANTC Cantor, Schimmel, Biophysical Chemistry (Vol 1,2,3) (Freeman 1980)
• LT574.19.LEHNA.4 Nelson, Cox, I Principi di Biochemica di Lehninger (Zanichelli 2004)


written and oral
A mix of power point presentations, practical sessions, and traditional lectures at the blackboard will be followed.
Italian
Students will be directly involved in the lectures, and will be asked to prepare a short paper based on an assignment provided by the instructor, as well as to give a presentation hinging upon it.
  • Lecture notes, material for reference or for self-assessment available online or as e-book
  • Use of open-source software