Articles tagged with Soft Matter Physics
Researchers at Hebrew University of Jerusalem identify previously unknown law of geometry that explains why growing surfaces suddenly develop complex patterns. The discovery could reshape understanding of natural structures and guide design of shape-changing materials.
Researchers have calculated fundamental laws of thermodynamics for a gas made up of spinning particles, finding that pressure is similar to a normal gas but at an elevated temperature. Localized surface currents also arise, enabling targeted particle transport.
Researchers have designed a tough, fatigue-resistant, and multifunctional biogel for next-gen wearable electronics. The biogel enables self-powered devices for gesture recognition and robotic hand control with high precision.
Researchers at Penn State have created a material memory system where two types of memory coexist and compete. At lower intensities, the mixture retains both directional and amplitude memories. However, as intensity increases, one memory weakens and is eventually erased, while the other becomes dominant.
A research team used a simple physical model to connect sublattice melting with cooperative and spatially heterogeneous ion transport, revealing a fundamental mechanism behind superionic conduction. The findings offer a unified explanation for this phenomenon, which could guide the design of next-generation solid-state batteries.
Lipid molecular geometry controls membrane stretching elasticity, while three-dimensional DNA networks govern bending resistance. Researchers developed a framework to dissect the mechanics of artificial cells, revealing a clear division of labor at the molecular level.
A new study reveals that the shape of poo is determined by the stiffness of the material and direction of gravity compared to extrusion. This explains why animals defecate downward, creating a pointy mound like the poo emoji, but lugworms defy gravity with uniform spirals.
Scientists at the University of Osaka developed a theoretical framework to explain the anomalously large magnetic susceptibility of organic radical fluids. They found that dynamic magnetic interactions during molecular collisions enhance the magnetic susceptibility, explaining the phenomenon beyond conventional theories.
Ordinary adhesive tape stores a sequence of multiple memories with tunable strength, allowing for simple mechanical calculations. Researchers developed an automated device to create these memories by peeling the tape past designated distances.
Physicists used a water tank to simulate the Aharonov-Bohm effect, revealing counter-rotating wave patterns that mimic quantum effects. The study showed that adding a vortex causes shifts in wave phase, resulting in rotating lines of zero wave height, or nodal lines.
Research finds that the rounded shape of natural tips is due to random mechanical wear, not just evolutionary optimization. The experiment with pencils demonstrates how collisions can lead to a universal parabolic shape across different structures.
Scientists create a porous silica microrod material that can form dense dispersions in nematic liquid crystals, overcoming the challenge of strong surface anchoring. This enables the reconfigurable self-assembly of micrometer-sized particles, opening up new possibilities for optical and biomedical applications.
Researchers have discovered that twisting and stacking oxide crystals can create specific atomic configurations that act as an 'invisible fence' to trap or repel electrons. The study reveals charge disproportionation due to subtle distortions in oxygen octahedra, leading to altered electron accumulation patterns.
A new study reveals that positively charged ions accumulate in one phase, reducing electrostatic repulsion and allowing negatively charged biomolecules to localize within droplets. This mechanism explains the preferential partitioning of molecules in liquid–liquid phase separation.
Engineers at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that foams exhibit internal motion resembling deep learning in AI systems. The study suggests a common mathematical principle underlying both foams and AI training, with implications for designing adaptive materials and understanding biological structures.
Researchers use model calculations to optimize work extraction from fluctuating environments, enabling the development of nanomachines that can efficiently transport nutrients and other molecules within cells. The study's findings have significant implications for understanding thermodynamics in the microscopic world.
Researchers investigate poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) gel structure and function under mechanical forces and heat, revealing changes in electrical conductivity and internal structure. The study provides valuable insights for developing smart polymers and understanding their functional mechanisms.
Scientists at The University of Osaka reproduced multiple statistical characteristics of slow earthquakes using gel jelly beads on a liquid surface. The study suggests that slow earthquakes exhibit anomalously long and small slips adjacent to regular earthquakes, with potential implications for probabilistic earthquake assessments.
Researchers at The University of Osaka have created an eco-friendly organic liquid that phosphoresces at room temperature, overcoming issues with molecular aggregation and stability. This discovery offers potential applications in electronic displays, particularly for wearable devices.
Researchers investigate beer foams to understand their stability, finding that different types of beers use unique mechanisms to hold thin films together. The study provides valuable insights for creating stable foams with applications in oil separation, firefighting chemicals, and more.
Researchers have developed a novel way for liquid crystals to retain information about their movement, enabling the creation of smart and flexible materials. The breakthrough could lead to advancements in memory devices, sensors, and new types of physics.
Researchers at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf found that static friction can cause the cooling of active particles. By studying a swarm of mini-robots, they discovered that collisions between the robots lead to the formation of clusters that are no longer moving, effectively cooling them down.
A study by Philip Kurian and colleagues reveals a revised upper bound on carbon-based life's computational capacity, connecting it to the universe's information-processing limit. The discovery of quantum superradiance in cytoskeletal filaments enables eukaryotic organisms to process information through tryptophan networks.
A team of researchers from Osaka University has demonstrated that human tissue can be used to solve complex equations and process information, outperforming traditional computing methods. This breakthrough uses the concept of reservoir computing, where data is input into a complex 'reservoir' that encodes rich patterns.
Researchers found that collective cell movement exhibits robust invariance across diverse systems, including cancer cells and bacteria. This discovery could lead to improved understanding of oncological diseases and tissue engineering, as well as applications in robot navigation and artificial intelligence.
Researchers from Aalto University have created a synthetic surface inspired by lotus leaves and found that plastronic waves travel along the surface at speeds up to 45 times faster than capillary waves. The discovery could lead to new applications in biotechnology, materials science, and pharmaceuticals.
The German Research Foundation has approved a four-and-a-half-year extension for the Research Training Group 2516, which explores structure formation in soft matter. The group aims to understand assembly processes and manipulate them through interfaces.
A team of researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science has confirmed that baseball's 'magic mud' works, providing the right mixture for spreading, gripping, and stickiness. The study also highlights the potential for natural materials like the mud to be used as sustainable lubricants.
A new study links various soft material behaviors, revealing a critical parameter called the brittility factor that simplifies failure behavior. This finding helps engineers design better materials for future challenges.
Researchers have developed a mathematical theory of knitted materials, enabling the creation of programmable textiles with adjustable elasticity. The study, led by Georgia Tech physicists, explores the relationships between yarn manipulation, stitch patterns, and fabric behavior to expand knitting's applications beyond clothing.
Elastic turbulence, a chaotic fluid motion in non-Newtonian fluids, exhibits universal power-law decay of energy and intermittent behavior. This study reveals its unexpected similarity to classical Newtonian turbulence, paving the way for developing a complete mathematical theory and predicting flow patterns.
A recent study published in The Journal of Chemical Physics has uncovered the role of dynamic disorder in jump motions that govern the dynamic slowdown of supercooled water. At lower temperatures, water molecules become trapped within stable, low-density domains, leading to increasingly slow and intermittent motion.
Physicists at UCSB and collaborators have created a framework to manipulate self-sustained chaotic flows in active fluids by controlling topological defects. This allows for the engineering of self-powered fluids with tunable flows, paving the way for applications in biological processes, soft robotics, and fluid-based logic devices.
Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University created a new model to study the transmission of forces through amorphous solids like concrete and cement. They found that areas between hard regions 'harden' to produce elongated force chains, leading to softer materials with more uniform stiffness.
Scientists at Mainz University and TU Darmstadt developed a method to write in water by utilizing microbeads that exchange ions for protons, altering local pH values. This allows ink particles to accumulate in specific areas, creating fine lines and patterns.
Researchers discovered that Alcanivorax borkumensis biofilms consume oil by stretching droplets into tubes, allowing for efficient oil degradation. Large concentrations of dispersants can harm these biofilms, highlighting the need for further research.
Researchers at ISTA use swimming bacteria to assemble materials, introducing a novel strategy for fabricating soft materials. The study demonstrates the potential sustainability benefits of harnessing energy from bacteria in material production.
A team of researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz studied the collective behavior of small robots and found that they can solve tasks that a single machine cannot. The study uses statistical physics to analyze how the robots interact and move, revealing potential applications in medical and pharmaceutical applications.
Researchers study DNA minicircles using hydrodynamic measurements to understand their behavior under twisting, revealing unique shapes and compactness. The investigation combines theoretical approaches with experimental methods to elucidate dynamic hydroelastic effects in DNA.
Researchers at Hokkaido University developed a hybrid hydrogel combining natural squid tissues with synthetic polymers, exhibiting hierarchical anisotropy and toughness.
A team of researchers from The University of Tokyo created a computer simulation to study the phase separation of counter-rotating particles in a fluid. They found that nonlinear turbulent effects lead to the sudden separation of particles into regions of clockwise and counterclockwise collections.
Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz developed a prototype that combines Brownian and reservoir computing to perform Boolean logic operations. This innovation uses metallic thin films exhibiting magnetic skyrmions to achieve energy savings through automatic system reset.
University of Virginia engineers develop a Minecraft-like, voxelated approach to create complicated structures comparable to human tissues and organs. They use droplets as the basic building blocks, assembling them into 3D constructs with precise location, composition, and properties.
Researchers have summarized the latest developments in mass transfer techniques for large-scale and high-density microLED arrays. The techniques address key challenges such as interfacial adhesion mechanisms and process parameters to achieve high reliability and efficiency.
Researchers from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz used AlphaFold to predict the structures of new protein knots, discovering the most complex knot and composite knots. These findings provide insight into folding mechanisms and evolutionary processes in proteins.
Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz are investigating the dynamics of spin structures, including the pinning effects of skyrmions on thin films. The study reveals that skyrmions get stuck in
Scientists found that certain dynamical defects help explain the allowed vibrational modes inside amorphous solids, like glasses. These findings may lead to controlling the properties of amorphous materials.
A team of researchers used a new computer simulation to model the electrostatic self-organization of zwitterionic nanoparticles, which are useful for drug delivery. They found that including transient charge fluctuations greatly increased the accuracy, leading to the development of new self-assembling smart nanomaterials.
Researchers have observed persistent swinging of electrons between atomic sites in crystals using ultrafast X-ray diffraction. The study reveals relocation of valence charge on the length scale of interatomic distances, paving the way for future studies of functional materials.
A team of physicists created 'droploids', self-propelled droplets containing colloidal particles that act as internal motors. The researchers used laser light to activate the system, creating a feedback loop that propels the droplets forward.
Researchers have successfully observed the desorption of long polymer chains from a surface, classifying it as a first-order phase transition. This breakthrough study uses fast scanning calorimetry to measure heat exchange and characterizes the elusive adsorption/desorption transition.
Researchers simulate how hackers could randomly strand internet-connected cars to cause widespread traffic gridlock. Even with conservative estimates, stalling 20% of cars during rush hour could freeze traffic solid and debilitate emergency vehicles.
Researchers generate self-organizing liquids into patterns, enabling design of emulsions resembling Russian nesting dolls. The method offers potential new pathways for developing more sophisticated pharmaceuticals and other consumer products.
Researchers demonstrate that fast molecules in the vicinity make blood cell membranes wriggle, but cells also become active when they have enough reaction time. The study reveals a balance between thermal fluctuations and internal forces causing the cells to change shape.
Researchers at NYU have developed a self-replication process using artificial DNA tile motifs, capable of producing complex structures with varying patterns and functions. The breakthrough could lead to the creation of new materials with unique properties.