Organisers

• Rene Messina (Institut fuer Theoretische Physik II, Heinrich-Heine-Universitaet Duesseldorf )
• Ralf Everaers (Laboratoire de Physique, ENS Lyon)
• Carsten Svaneborg (Department of Chemistry, University of Aarhus)

Supports

 CECAM

 Marie Curie - MolSimu

Description

Soft condensed matter comprises a wide class of materials
such as polymers, surfactants, colloids, liquids crystals.
Its microstructure is determined by a delicate interplay of thermal
fluctuations and molecular interactions. The resulting material
properties show a complex dependence on molecular architecture,
temperature, concentration, composition, pH, ionic strength, and
external fields etc. Soft-condensed matter has many applications
in liquid crystal displays, paints, detergents, inks, lubricants,
adhesives, cosmetics, rubber etc. Furthermore, evolution has selected
soft-condensed matter as the building material of living systems.

Computer simulations often provide the most direct access to the
intriguing physical phenomena occuring at the nano scale which are characteristic of soft matter. The course offers an introduction to Monte Carlo and Molecular Dynamics Simulations of colloidal and polymeric systems:

Day 1: Statistical properties of single chains. Lattice Monte Carlo simulations of selfavoiding walks.

Day 2: Chain statistics in dense polymer melts. Molecular Dynamics Simulations of bead-spring polymer melts. Equilibration.

Day 3: Chain dynamics in dense polymer melts. Entanglements.

Day 4: Charged surfaces: Mean-field theory and Monte Carlo simulations with long-ranged Coulomb interactions.

Day 5: Charged colloids and stiff polyelectrolytes: counterion distribution.

We assume a basic understanding of Statistical Mechanics and Computer simulation techniques in general.

Support for participation (travel and lodging) is available via the Marie Curie Action “MolSimu”.