EVENT DETAILS AND ABSTRACT

Title: Granular Chains - Geometric Constraints, Entropy, and More
Speaker: Robert Ecke
Speaker Info: Los Alamos National Lab
Brief Description:
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Abstract:

Vertically-vibrated chains provide an excellent system for the study of generic features of systems where geometric constraints are dominant such as polymers and proteins. I will discuss experimental and theoretical results on the lifetime of knots and the probability distribution of figure eight structures. The latter results are an interesting example of the application of notions of equilibrium statistical mechanics to nonequilibrium systems. I will also discuss the spontaneous formation of spiral states, the radius of gyration of free chains and loops, and the possibilities in multi-chain states.