TPSC seminar

Date and time: 29 November 2017 (Wednesday), 4:00 pm
Venue: Seminar Hall

Title: Computer simulation of colloids and active polymers

Speaker: Dr. Debabrata Deb, School of Physics and Material Sciences, Thapar University, Patiala

Abstract: This presentation will be divided into two parts. In the first part, we will discuss the computer simulation study of heterogeneous crystal nucleation in the colloid-polymer mixture. The heterogeneity in the system is introduced by a wall which interacts the colloid-polymer mixture via Weeks-Chandler-Andersen (WCA) potential. We discuss various methods to calculate the interfacial tensions and then ways to measure the contact angle and heterogeneous nucleation barrier energy. In the second part, we will discuss the autochemotactic behavior of active polymer gel that is undergoing the oscillating Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction. We show that these chemo responsive BZ gels autonomously form mechanical gear like assemblies and we shall also explore various mechanisms to control the direction of rotation of such soft gears.