American Chemical Society Symposium: Dynamics and Jamming in Complex Environments; August 19-23, 2012; Philadelphis, PA. USA

Columbia University, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

Each of the two annual national meetings of the American Chemical Society includes several symposia in the Physical Chemistry Division. The topics of these symposia represent some of the most exciting areas of physical chemistry and chemical physics research. This year one of these featured symposia is Dynamics and Jamming in Complex Environments. The dynamics of particles in crowded and complex environments is intriguing from fundamental and applied points of view. Indeed, crowding determines particle dynamics in many physical, chemical, and biological systems, especially those far from equilibrium. Examples include liquid-to-solid transitions, dynamics in viscous liquids and particulate systems, and dynamics of biomolecules in living cells. Such physics is also of applied interest: indeed, at stake is our ability to design new materials and predict their static and dynamic properties. Inhomogeneity and lack of periodicity limits the utility of conventional bulk experiments to detail molecular motions in these systems. Moreover, such experiments, as well as direct computational studies, are complicated by the enormous range of dynamics displayed by these systems. Emerging experimental, simulation-based, and theoretical approaches to investigating these complex systems can address questions that have evaded clear answers about the nature of these slow relaxations, broadly termed glassy dynamics, and the glass transition despite decades of effort. The co-organizers of this symposium request funds to help defray registration and travel costs for speakers and poster presenters at this meeting. In particular, these funds will be used primarily for graduate student and postdoctoral presenters. The symposium will bring together diverse scientists: they are diverse in their areas of research, in their chosen experimental and/or theoretical tools, and in their nationality, age, and gender. In particular, members of underrepresented groups have been recruited to participate via presentation of both invited and contributing talks - advertisements featuring such speakers then, in turn, encourage additional participation from members of these groups as attendees and poster presenters at the symposium. The set of invited speakers represent a much broader community than those typically present at conferences on glasses, which tend to focus on either molecular glasses or soft matter or granular systems and do not generally include both experimentalists and theorists. The support requested will broaden the community participating in this symposium and in turn encourage new synergies between researchers in diverse communities. The chief goals of this symposium are (1) exploring the commonalities in the various systems in which crowding is an important determinant of dynamics and (2) continuing to develop a common language with which to discuss glassy behavior.