IRG I: Jamming and Slow Relaxation in Materials Far from Equilibrium @ University of Chicago
This IRG considers the factors that cause flowing systems to become jammed and therefore form a rigid material trapped far from equilibrium. The research endeavors to unify the understanding and control of such materials by analyzing manifestations of rigidity onset across a wide range of seemingly different systems. Studying these systems under a unifying umbrella allows the cross-pollination of ideas about structure and dynamics at the macro-, meso-, and microscopic levels. Applying the paradigm of jamming, we plan to pursue new types of material processing that exploits the effects of aging and memory common to jammed and glassy materials.
