Statistical Mechanics of Active Matter

12 Jun 2019, 09:00 → 14 Jun 2019, 15:00 Europe/Rome

Ex-ISEF/Building-Main Lecture Hall (GSSI)

Gran Sasso mountain from Collemaggio Park, L'Aquila

 

The meeting will focus on general topics in active matter physics, with  emphasis on the statistical mechanics of active systems and applications.

The study of active particles has recently received much attention due to a renewed interest in the physical principles underlying their intriguing collective behaviours, complex hydrodynamical, rheological and mechanical properties. The phenomenology of active fluids is quite different from the one of out-of-equilibrium molecular fluids, often referred as passive fluids, and for this reason, the field is so fascinating. The theoretical studies are mainly based on phenomenological models, constructed by using physical insight, with the aim to reproduce the complex biological or chemical mechanisms determining the observed dynamics. Examples in nature range from swimming microorganisms to insect swarms and flocking birds but they also include synthetic systems such as self-catalytic colloids and artificial micro-swimmers. 

For this school/workshop, we intend to gather experts from the subfields that make up the Active Matter community (statistical mechanics, hydrodynamics and soft matter) and covering the different approaches (theoretical, experimental and computational) together with leading experts in the surrounding field of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics, to provide training in the methods that are currently used in and around active matter.

The main goal is to provide a framework to discuss among (senior and younger) researchers who, sometimes with different perspectives and/or background, are interested in active matter so to facilitate the cross-fertilization of ideas, tools and problems. 

The program  will include  two  mini-courses will cover on general aspects of the subject and thematic seminars will survey recent developments.
 

Lecturers

• Andrea Cavagna, Institute for Complex System National Research Council, Rome. "How to use correlation functions to unveil the behavior of collective biological system"
• Hartmund Löwen, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf. "Dynamical density functional theory of active matter"

Speakers

• Guido Boffetta, University of TurinUtrecht University.
• Eric Clement, ESPCI-Sorbonne University.
• Joost de Graaf, Utrecht University.
• Roberto Di Leonardo, Sapienza University of Rome.
• Ralf Eichorn, NORDITA Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics.
• Claudio Maggi, Sapienza University of Rome.
• Andrea Puglisi, Sapienza University of Rome.
• Roberto Rusconi, Politecnico di Milano.
• Alessandro Sarracino, Università della Campania L. Vanvitelli.
• Thomas Speck, Institute of Physics JGU Mainz.
• Adriano Tiribocchi, Center for Life Nano Science (CLNS).

 

Scientific and organizing commettee

• Lorenzo Caprini (GSSI),
• Massimo Cencini (CNR), 
• Pierangelo Marcati (GSSI and University of L’Aquila),
• Umberto Marini Bettolo Marconi (University of Camerino), 
• Angelo Vulpiani ("Sapienza", University of Rome).

 

PROGRAMME.pdf