Basic Concepts For Simple And Complex Liquids

Presenting a unified approach, this book focuses on the theoretical concepts and methods necessary for understanding the physics and chemistry of the fluid state. Important ideas are presented concisely and illustrated with examples from simple molecular liquids and more complex soft condensed matter systems such as polymers, colloids, and liquid crystals.

Presenting a unified approach, this book focusses on the concepts and theoretical methods that are necessary for an understanding of the physics and chemistry of the fluid state. The authors do not attempt to cover the whole field in an encyclopedic manner. Instead, important ideas are presented in a concise and rigorous style, and illustrated with examples from both simple molecular liquids and more complex soft condensed matter systems such as polymers, colloids, and liquid crystals.

This set of lectures provides an introduction to the structure, thermodynamics and dynamics of liquids, binary solutions and polymers at a level that will enable graduate students and non-specialist researchers to understand more specialized literature and to possibly start their own work in this field. Part I starts with the introduction of distribution functions, which describe the statistical arrangements of atoms or molecules in a simple liquid. The main concepts involve mean field theories like the Perkus-Yevick theory and the random phase approximation, which relate the forces to the distribution functions. In order to provide a concise, self-contained text, an understanding of the general statistical mechanics of an interacting many-body system is assumed. The fact that in a classic liquid the static and dynamic aspects of such a system can be discussed separately forms the basis of the two-fold structure of this approach. In order to allow polymer melts and solutions to be discussed, a short chapter acquaints readers with scaling concepts by discussing random walks and fractals. Part II of the lecture series is essentially devoted to the presentation of the dynamics of simple and complex liquids in terms of the generalized hydrodynamics concept, such as that introduced by Mori and Zwanzig. A special topic is a comprehensive introduction of the liquid-glass transition and its discussion in terms of a mode-coupling theory.

Comprehensive coverage of topics in the theory of classical liquids Widely regarded as the standard text in its field, Theory of Simple Liquids gives an advanced but self-contained account of liquid state theory within the unifying framework provided by classical statistical mechanics. The structure of this revised and updated Fourth Edition is similar to that of the previous one but there are significant shifts in emphasis and much new material has been added. Major changes and Key Features in content include: Expansion of existing sections on simulation methods, liquid-vapour coexistence, the hierarchical reference theory of criticality, and the dynamics of super-cooled liquids. New sections on binary fluid mixtures, surface tension, wetting, the asymptotic decay of pair correlations, fluids in porous media, the thermodynamics of glasses, and fluid flow at solid surfaces. An entirely new chapter on applications to 'soft matter' of a combination of liquid state theory and coarse graining strategies, with sections on polymer solutions and polymer melts, colloidal dispersions, colloid-polymer mixtures, lyotropic liquid crystals, colloidal dynamics, and on clustering and gelation. Expansion of existing sections on simulation methods, liquid-vapour coexistence, the hierarchian reference of criticality, and the dynamics of super-cooled liquids. New sections on binary fluid mixtures, surface tension, wetting, the asymptotic decay of pair correlations, fluids in porous media, the thermodynamics of glasses, and fluid flow at solid surfaces. An entirely new chapter on applications to 'soft matter' of a combination of liquid state theory and coarse graining strategies, with sections on polymer solutions and polymer melts, colloidal dispersions, colloid-polymer mixtures, lyotropic liquid crystals, colloidal dynamics, and on clustering and gelation.

This book introduces the thermodynamics of liquids and explains how recent advances have improved our understanding of liquid properties.

This book, provides a general introduction to the ideas and methods of statistical mechanics with the principal aim of meeting the needs of Master’s students in chemical, mechanical, and materials science engineering. Extensive introductory information is presented on many general physics topics in which students in engineering are inadequately trained, ranging from the Hamiltonian formulation of classical mechanics to basic quantum mechanics, electromagnetic fields in matter, intermolecular forces, and transport phenomena. Since engineers should be able to apply physical concepts, the book also focuses on the practical applications of statistical physics to material science and to cutting-edge technologies, with brief but informative sections on, for example, interfacial properties, disperse systems, nucleation, magnetic materials, superfluidity, and ultralow temperature technologies. The book adopts a graded approach to learning, the opening four basic-level chapters being followed by advanced “starred” sections in which special topics are discussed. Its relatively informal style, including the use of musical metaphors to guide the reader through the text, will aid self-learning.

The surprising connections which have developed between physics and various fields as diverse as biology and economics now constitute the fascinating research area known as complex materials and systems. The study of complex materials and processes is rapidly expanding, and many important experimental and theoretical discoveries have been made in recent years. Statistical physics is key to exploring this new and expanding field, enabling an understanding of real-world phenomena compromised of complex materials or exhibiting complex processes. This book includes lectures presented at the CLXXVI International School of Physics oEnrico Fermio, held in Varenna, Italy, in July 2010. The school focused on recent advances and developing perspectives in the study of complex materials and processes, as related to physics and biology. The book provides both an introduction and a complete presentation of recent theoretical and experimental developments for each topic.Topics addressed include: scaling and universality, supra-molecular systems and solutions, polymer systems, static and dynamics of liquid water, arrested dynamics and jamming, dynamics of out of equilibrium systems, physics of confined liquids, granular matter, physics of biological and medical systems, networks in physical and social sciences, turbulence in physics, biology and economics and finally, switching phenomena in biology and economics. The book provides reviews of these cutting edge topics by leading authorities and will be a reference work useful to both advanced research professionals and beginning graduate students.

This book provides a practical guide to molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulation techniques used in the modelling of simple and complex liquids. Computer simulation is an essential tool in studying the chemistry and physics of condensed matter, complementing and reinforcing both experiment and theory. Simulations provide detailed information about structure and dynamics, essential to understand the many fluid systems that play a key role in our daily lives: polymers, gels, colloidal suspensions, liquid crystals, biological membranes, and glasses. The second edition of this pioneering book aims to explain how simulation programs work, how to use them, and how to interpret the results, with examples of the latest research in this rapidly evolving field. Accompanying programs in Fortran and Python provide practical, hands-on, illustrations of the ideas in the text.