Program 2018

The idea of this summer school is to create a friendly learning atmosphere, to enable close contact between students and lecturers, and create opportunities for students to make lasting contacts with peers at other universities.

Topics for 2018:

Markus Deserno,
Carnegie Melon University
The physics of lipid membranes
In aqueous solution, amphiphilic molecules spontaneously assemble into a variety of mesoscopic phases—from simple micelles to large membranes. I will discuss the physics of this process, and then focus in particular on lipid bilayer membranes. These are emergent two-dimensional fluid surfaces that are described amazingly well by a purely geometric Hamiltonian, and who’s shapes and stresses can be discussed using elegant tools from differential geometry. I will look at several examples where this language affords quick and deep insight into the underlying physics, such as buckling transitions or membrane mediated interactions. I will also discuss how to go beyond a purely shape-based energy and include the “next” relevant soft mode of lipid bilayer deformation, which is lipid tilt.
Eleni Katifori,
University  of Pennsylvania
Physical Networks
The animal vascular system, the xylem and phloem in plants, the foraging networks of slime molds and fungi, the system of bronchi and bronchioles in the lung are all examples of the broad diversity of physiological networks in living organisms. These networks are indispensable for the survival and fitness of complex, large scale organisms as they allow life to beat the size limitations imposed by diffusion. In this short course we will explore the physics that governs complex living fluid flow networks. We will discuss dynamical models that govern their development, optimization models that explain their evolution and, eventually, the universal design principles that dictate their morphology.
Leo Radzihovsky,
University of Colorado
Critical Soft Matter
The upshot of extensive studies of fluctuations in condensed matter systems is that their qualitative importance is typically confined to isolated critical points of continuous transitions between phases of matter. This conventional wisdom also predicts the number of low energy Goldstone modes based on the so-called “G/H” pattern of symmetry breaking. I will discuss a large class of systems, some quite well-known, that violate this standard paradigm. Namely, they exhibit a fewer than “G/H” number of low-energy modes due to an emergent Higgs mechanism. Even more spectacularly, such systems exhibit “critical” ordered phases, with universal power-law properties reminiscent of a critical point, but requiring no fine-tuning and extending throughout the ordered phase.
Tony Dinsmore,
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Colloids and Emulsions
Colloids and emulsions are common in everyday materials (food, blood, ink, paint) and have a rich history in basic science (such as early experimental evidence for the atomic hypothesis by Nobel laureate Jean Perrin). Today, they still yield new discoveries in basic science and modern materials. I will discuss some of the key principles needed to understand colloids and emulsions, such as electrostatic and other inter-particle forces in suspension or at interfaces, packing constraints, phase behavior, viscous forces, and diffusion. I will also discuss experimental methods such as imaging and tracking, scattering, and rheology.

Format:

The school will be a 5-day residential program running from noon on Sunday, May 27 to Thursday Evening, May 31, 2018. Four lecturers will give mini-courses composed of four 90-min lectures. The lectures will be interspersed with student presentations, and some social activities. Typically, we will have four lectures a day, leaving time for discussions scientific and otherwise. The lecturers may set assignments. More details on the courses will appear here closer to the date of the school.

Location:

UMass Amherst, the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system, is located in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, a 2-hour drive from Boston and 3 hours from New York City. The area is home to UMass and to four other liberal arts colleges. The area has a rich cultural environment in a rural setting. There are also a number of outdoor activities to fill in your free time – hiking and biking trails criss-cross the area.

Logistics:

There will be a fee of $425 for attending the school. The fee will cover on-campus lodging at UMass, breakfast, lunch and refreshments, as well as two evening meals. On other evenings, we will leave you to explore the eateries, bars, coffee-shops of Amherst and neighboring Northampton. The town is a 15 minute walk from campus, and there is free public transportation connecting the university and the town.

Posters:

All participants are encouraged to bring a poster describing the research they are involved in or going on in their research groups.  These posters do not need to report new or finished research results, and can be less formal than posters you would present at a regular conference.  We will have one or more poster sessions, where you can find out about what is happening at other universities.