Nano-Transport

Catalog description

This course aims to teach fundamental CBE concepts such as transport and statistical mechanics from a nanoscopic point of view, with an emphasis on utility in CBE laboratory and simulation settings. The focus will be on microscopic dynamics and transport in soft systems such as nanoparticles and polymers, relevant to biological and biomolecular systems. We will use a combination of both analytic and numerical methods to facilitate understanding of key concepts. Physical topics will include stochastic, single-molecule, non-ideal, hard sphere and frustrated systems, phase transitions, non-equilibrium statistical mechanics and optics. Concepts will include stochastic calculus (Gaussian and non-Gaussian statistics, correlation functions and power spectra), Fourier methods, convolution, the Central Limit theorem, anomalous diffusion, percolation, and the Fluctuation/Dissipation theorem. Computational methods will concentrate on Monte Carlo simulations of a variety of soft matter "toy" models.