CAREER: Dynamic and Quenched Disorder in Non-Equilibrium Reaction-Diffusion Systems

Duke University, Durham NC

Investigators

Abstract

The goal of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) project at Duke University is to experimentally investigate dynamic and quenched disorder in non-equilibrium reaction-diffusion processes, and to further incorporate research experience into the graduate and undergraduate physics curriculum. Despite the ubiquity and importance of processes involving interaction and transport: e.g. the weather, plasmas, industrial chemical reactions and surface reactions, a quantitative understanding of non-equilibrium processes is fundamentally lacking. The proposed experiments address open questions in non-equilibrium physics, including studies of the validity of the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang model of rough growing interfaces, and tests of whether a critical amount of disorder smooths out a non-equilibrium transition that is otherwise sharp. These studies will contribute to the development of a predictive theory for non-equilibrium physics. Training of students will focus on their preparation for scientific and non-scientific multidisciplinary careers, while still maintaining the useful perspective and skills provided by a physics program. The goal of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) project at Duke University is to experimentally investigate dynamic and static disorder in non-equilibrium processes involving interaction and transport, and to further incorporate research experience into the graduate and undergraduate physics curriculum. Despite the ubiquity and importance of interaction-transport processes: e.g. the weather, plasmas, industrial chemical reactions and surface reactions, a theoretical understanding, i.e. predictive power, of these processes is fundamentally lacking. The proposed experiments address open questions in non-equilibrium physics, including studies of the validity of the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang model of rough growing interfaces, and tests of whether a precise amount of disorder smooths out an otherwise sharp transition between two different system behaviors. The results of these experiments will contribute to the development of a predictive theory of non-equilibrium systems which will ultimately apply to the research of liquid and solid rocket propellant and other combustion processes; electronic, magnetic, and optical materials fabrication; and bio-geophysical processes; and is likely to apply to a broad range of related phenomena. Training of students will focus on their preparation for scientific and non-scientific multidisciplinary careers, while still maintaining the useful perspective and skills provided by a physics program.