Francoise Brochard-Wyart - Böcker

The study of capillarity is in the midst of a veritable explosion. Hence the temptation to write a new book, aiming at an audience of students. What is offered here is not a comprehensive review of the latest research but rather a compendium of principles. How does one turn a hydrophilic surface into one that is hydrophobic, and vice versa? We will describe a few solutions. Some rely on chemical treatments, such as coating a surface with a molecular layer. Others are based on physics, for instance by controlling the roughness of a surface. We will also examine the dynamics of wetting. Drops that spread spontaneously do so at a rate that slows down with time. They can be tricked into covering large areas by spreading them suddenly. We will describe a few of the many facets of their dynamical properties. Special additives are required for water to foam. Foams are desirable in a shampoo but can be a nightmare in a dishwasher detergent. Antifoam agents have been developed and are well known, but how do they work? It is also possible to generate bubbles and foams without special additives, for example in pure and viscous liquids such as glycerin, molten glass, and polymers.As we will see, the laws of draining and bursting then turn out to be quite different from the conventional ones. This book will enable the reader to understand in simple terms such questions that affect every day life -- questions that also come up during in industry. The aim is to view systems that often prove quite complex in a way that isolates a particular physical phenomenon, often avoiding descriptions requiring advanced numerical techniques will oftentimes in favor of qualitative arguments. This strategy may at times jeopardize scientific rigor, but it makes it possible to grasp things efficiently and to invent novel situations.

‘Choice Outstanding Title’Authored by world-leading physicists, this introductory textbook explores the basic principles of polymers, colloids, liquid crystals, wetting, and foams. It is a practical ‘toolbox’ for readers to acquire basic knowledge in the field and facilitate further reading and advanced courses. Undergraduate students in physics, biology, and the medical sciences will learn the basics of soft matter physics, in addition to scaling approaches in the spirit of the Nobel prize laureate in physics in 1991, Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, the inventor of soft matter physics and close collaborator to author Françoise Brochard-Wyart. Features:Accessible and compact approachContains interesting examples from everyday life (including the Paris Metro, a water spider, a gecko, and duck feathers)Accompanied by additional exercises to enhance understanding available for download from the CRC Press website "Three physicists (one theoretician; two experimentalists, one in biophysics) adopt an intuitive and practical style to present the fundamentals of soft matter physics. Make no mistake: the style is accessible and revealing, but the underlying science is profound. Brochard-Wyart (Sorbonne Univ.) was a collaborator and former student of the late Pierre-Gilles de Gennes (originator of soft matter physics, 1991 Nobel laureate in physics). The authors lay claim to the style of de Gennes (and reference their class notes) in their method of presentation, including its organization and range of topics. There are two broad groupings: chapters 1–7 cover definition and characterization of soft matter, then interfaces, phase transitions, liquid crystals, surfactants, and polymers, offering simple calculations (order of magnitude estimates) and scaling law arguments. Part 2 (chapters 8–10) covers a range of applications: self-cleaning surfaces, biomimetic adhesion, optical applications, and biological applications from DNA to tissue engineering. Many examples are based on everyday household phenomena. Each chapter provides a short bibliography. Any student (primarily in physics, biology, chemistry, and engineering) or researcher will enjoy reading this unique book. To benefit fully, readers need some background in electricity and magnetism, chemistry, fluid mechanics, statistical mechanics, and thermodynamics. This reader has rarely encountered a book so accessible, yet so thought provoking.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through professionals."—J. Lambropoulos, University of Rochester in CHOICE October 2020).

As I glance out my window in the early morning, I can see beads of droplets gracing a spider web. The film of dew that has settled on the threads is unstable and breaks up spontaneously into droplets. This phenomenon has implications for the treatment of textile fibers (the process known as "oiling"), glass, and carbon. It is no less important when applying mascara! I take my morning shower. The moment I step out, I dry off by way of evaporation (which makes me feel cold) and by dewetting (the process by which dry areas form spontaneously and expand on my skin). As I rush into my car under a pelting rain, my attention is caught by small drops stuck on my windshield. I also notice larger drops rolling down and others larger still that, like snails, leave behind them a trail of water. I ask myself what the difference is between these rolling drops and grains of sand tumbling down an incline. I wonder why the smallest drops remain stuck. The answers to such questions do help car manufacturers treat the surface of glass and adjust the tilt of windshields.

‘Choice Outstanding Title’Authored by world-leading physicists, this introductory textbook explores the basic principles of polymers, colloids, liquid crystals, wetting, and foams. It is a practical ‘toolbox’ for readers to acquire basic knowledge in the field and facilitate further reading and advanced courses. Undergraduate students in physics, biology, and the medical sciences will learn the basics of soft matter physics, in addition to scaling approaches in the spirit of the Nobel prize laureate in physics in 1991, Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, the inventor of soft matter physics and close collaborator to author Françoise Brochard-Wyart. Features:Accessible and compact approachContains interesting examples from everyday life (including the Paris Metro, a water spider, a gecko, and duck feathers)Accompanied by additional exercises to enhance understanding available for download from the CRC Press website "Three physicists (one theoretician; two experimentalists, one in biophysics) adopt an intuitive and practical style to present the fundamentals of soft matter physics. Make no mistake: the style is accessible and revealing, but the underlying science is profound. Brochard-Wyart (Sorbonne Univ.) was a collaborator and former student of the late Pierre-Gilles de Gennes (originator of soft matter physics, 1991 Nobel laureate in physics). The authors lay claim to the style of de Gennes (and reference their class notes) in their method of presentation, including its organization and range of topics. There are two broad groupings: chapters 1–7 cover definition and characterization of soft matter, then interfaces, phase transitions, liquid crystals, surfactants, and polymers, offering simple calculations (order of magnitude estimates) and scaling law arguments. Part 2 (chapters 8–10) covers a range of applications: self-cleaning surfaces, biomimetic adhesion, optical applications, and biological applications from DNA to tissue engineering. Many examples are based on everyday household phenomena. Each chapter provides a short bibliography. Any student (primarily in physics, biology, chemistry, and engineering) or researcher will enjoy reading this unique book. To benefit fully, readers need some background in electricity and magnetism, chemistry, fluid mechanics, statistical mechanics, and thermodynamics. This reader has rarely encountered a book so accessible, yet so thought provoking.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through professionals."—J. Lambropoulos, University of Rochester in CHOICE October 2020).

This publication, in two volumes, is devoted to the scientific impact of the work of Nobel Laureate, Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, one of the greatest scientists of the 20th century. It covers the important fields for which de Gennes was renowned: solid state (magnetism and superconductivity), macroscopic random media and percolation, supersolids, liquid crystals, polymers, adhesion and friction, and biophysics.The book brings together internationally renowned experts to contribute their perspectives on the significance of de Gennes' works. They have each selected a definitive paper, which gives the state of the field at the time the paper was published, highlights the paper's importance and provides an analysis of the development of the field right up to the modern day. The insightful perspectives of these scientists make the book both unique and intriguing.

This publication, in two volumes, is devoted to the scientific impact of the work of Nobel Laureate, Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, one of the greatest scientists of the 20th century. It covers the important fields for which de Gennes was renowned: solid state (magnetism and superconductivity), macroscopic random media and percolation, supersolids, liquid crystals, polymers, adhesion and friction, and biophysics.The book brings together internationally renowned experts to contribute their perspectives on the significance of de Gennes' works. They have each selected a definitive paper, which gives the state of the field at the time the paper was published, highlights the paper's importance and provides an analysis of the development of the field right up to the modern day. The insightful perspectives of these scientists make the book both unique and intriguing.This is the second volume devoted to soft matter and biophysics.

This publication, in two volumes, is devoted to the scientific impact of the work of Nobel Laureate, Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, one of the greatest scientists of the 20th century. It covers the important fields for which de Gennes was renowned: solid state (magnetism and superconductivity), macroscopic random media and percolation, supersolids, liquid crystals, polymers, adhesion and friction, and biophysics.The book brings together internationally renowned experts to contribute their perspectives on the significance of de Gennes' works. They have each selected a definitive paper, which gives the state of the field at the time the paper was published, highlights the paper's importance and provides an analysis of the development of the field right up to the modern day. The insightful perspectives of these scientists make the book both unique and intriguing.This is the second volume devoted to soft matter and biophysics.

This publication, in two volumes, is devoted to the scientific impact of the work of Nobel Laureate, Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, one of the greatest scientists of the 20th century. It covers the important fields for which de Gennes was renowned: solid state (magnetism and superconductivity), macroscopic random media and percolation, supersolids, liquid crystals, polymers, adhesion and friction, and biophysics.The book brings together internationally renowned experts to contribute their perspectives on the significance of de Gennes' works. They have each selected a definitive paper, which gives the state of the field at the time the paper was published, highlights the paper's importance and provides an analysis of the development of the field right up to the modern day. The insightful perspectives of these scientists make the book both unique and intriguing.