Soft Matter Physics (Prof. Gorbunoff)

This course offers a coherent introduction to the physics of non-biological soft matter, probably one of the most rapidly developing areas in the physical sciences today. The course begins with a treatment of the general underlying principles: the relation of the structure and dynamics of solids and liquids to intermolecular forces, the thermodynamics and kinetics of phase transitions, and the principles of self-assembly. Then the specific properties of colloids, polymers, liquid crystals and self-assembling amphiphilic systems are treated within this framework. The focus on the essentials make the course suitable for final year undergraduates and beginning graduate students in physics, chemistry, materials science, and engineering.