Soft Solids and Complex Fluids – 2024

Welcome to the webpage for Soft solids and Complex Fluids, an annual summer school for graduate students in soft matter and statistical physics hosted by the Physics Department at UMass Amherst. There is a growing level of activity in physics departments in fields whose concepts and practices are inspired by the ideas and methods of classical condensed matter and statistical physics. These include liquid crystals, granular matter, solid mechanics, polymeric and colloidal physics and micro-fluidics, as well as biophysics. However, courses in the basic techniques common to these areas do not find a standard place in graduate curricula of most physics departments. This school helps fill this need. Our target audience consists of graduate students who are early in their career in a research group. Our lecturers will anticipate that you have a standard background in graduate classical and quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, statistical mechanics and the associated mathematical methods.

For 2024, the Summer School will continue its customary fully in-person format. The school will be a 5-day residential program running from noon on Sunday, June 2 to Thursday Evening, June 6, 2024. 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. For details on the courses and logistics see the Program 2024 tab. To apply to attend the summer school, fill out the application at the Apply tab above. The priority application deadline is Friday, April 12 2024.

The 20th Northeastern Granular Materials Workshop will be Friday, June 7 2024 at the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester Massachusetts. This is separate event from the Summer School. For information and to register for the NEGMW please go to https://gibbs.ccny.cuny.edu/NEGW.php

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