Abstract
A well identified community of physicists has established itself over the last thirty years, which was present in the 1999 Geilo Institute. Looking back at the themes of the 14 previous institutes, it is easy to recognize constant themes throughout the meetings as well as a drift away from the initial ones. We are dealing with Material Science as analysed by Solid State physicists using the tools of Statistical Physics. The study of electronic properties which was present in the first meetings has progressively been dismissed. From microscopic systems, the studies have been progressively turned towards mesoscopic -supramolecular- ones using analogies with the microscopic case: an example is the numerical study of granular media based on models developed in molecular dynamics studies of liquids and gases. There has been a progressively significant place given to Continuum Mechanics and Rheology, a field not much in fashion for physicists and chemists. Finally the opening towards Biological systems is a new and strong component of the present institute. In fact, Soft Condensed Matter does not characterize a field of study, rather a spirit!
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Riste, T. and Sherrington, D. (1989) Phase transition in soft condensed matter, Plenum Press, New York.
Kawabata, S. (1987) Application of fabric objective evaluation of fabric hand and quality, J. Text. Mech. Soc. 40 10–20.
Ottavi, H., Clerc, J., Giraud, G., Rousserq, J., Mitescu C.D., and Guyon, E. (1978) Electrical conductivity of a mixture of conducting and insulating spheres, J. of Phys. C 11, 1311.
Landauer, R. (1978), in Garland J.C. and Tanner D.B. (eds.), ETOPIM 1. AIP, conf. Proc. MP New York. 1.
Dullien, F.A.L. (1979) Porous media; fluid transport and pore structure, Acad. Press, New York.
Johnson, D.L. (1980) App. Phys. Lett. 37, 1065.
Lord Rayleigh The Theory of sound, Dover, New York.
Batchelor, G.K. and Green, J.T. (1972) the determination of the bulk stress in a suspension of spherical particles to order 2 J. Fl. Mech. 56, 375.
Mandelbrot B.B. (1999) Multifractals and 1/f noise Springer New York.
Stauffer D. (1985) Introduction to percolation theory Taylor and Francis London.
Yagil L., Gadenne P., Julien C. and Deutscher G. Optical properties of a semi continuous film on a substrate. Does an effective dielectric constant exist? Physica 207 228–233. The proceedings of ETOPIM 3 and 4 have been edited by Physica A 207 and 241.
Dantu P. (1957) Proc. 4th int. Con. Scien. Mechanics Butterworths London.
Roux S. and Guyon E. (1985) Mechanical Percolation J. de Phys. Lett. 46 L 999.
Radjai F., Wolf D., Roux S., Jean M. and Moreau J.J. Force networks in granular media.
Edwards S. these proceedings.
L’onde électrique special issue (1991) 71 5–53
Richard P. and Cheyrezy M. Composition of Reactive Powder Composites (1995) Cement and Concrete research 7 1501–1511
de Gennes P.G. and Guyon E. (1978) Lois générales pour l’injection d’un fluide dans un milieu poreux aléatoire J. de mécanique 39 1280.
Paterson L. (1984) Phys.Rev.Lett. 52 1621
Hammersley J.M. and Welsh D.J.A. (1980) Contemp. Phys. 21 593.
Charlaix E. Roux S. and Guyon E. Critical effects in the permeability of heterogeneous porous media Englman R. and Jaeger Z. (eds) Fragmentation form and flow in factured media Am. Inst. Phys. New York pp. 316–325.
Katz A. J. and Thompson A. H. (1985) Phys. Rev. Lett. 54 1325.
Groupe poreux P.C. (1987) Tracer dispersion a new characteristic length scale in porous media in R. Pynn and T. Riste (eds) Time dependent effects in disordered materials Plenum New York.
Lebon L., Leblond J. and Hulin J.P. (1997) Experimental measurement of dispersion processes at short times using a pulsed field gradient NMR technique Phys. of Fluids 9 481–490
de Gennes P.G. (1976) J. de Phys. (Paris) 37 L 1.
Stauffer D. (1976) J. Chem. Soc. Faraday Trans. II 72 1354.
Alexander S. (1984) J. de Phys. (Paris) 45 1939.
Roux S. J. de Phys. A. 19 L 351.
Djabouroff M., Capron I., Costeux S. and Kané M. (1999) Physical network formation under shear to appear in The Wiley Polymer network Group Review Vol. 2.
Fuller G.G. (1995) Optical Rheometry of complex fluids Oxford Univers. Press
Edwards S.F. and Doi M. (1978) J. chem. Soc. Farad. Trans.II 7 9184
Taylor G.I. (1934) The formation of emulsions in definable fields of flow Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. A 146 501–523.
Arp P.A. and Mason S.G. (1971) Annual Rewiew Fluid Mecanics 3 291.
de Gennes P.G. (1979) J. de Phys. 40 783.
Guyon E. and Blanc R. (1983) Transport properties of an assembly of spheres in G. Deutscher, R. Zallen and J. Adler (eds.) Percolation structures and processes Am. Inst. Phys. New York pp. 229–249.
Hinch E.J. (1977) Mechanical models of dilute polymer solutions in strong flows Phys. Fluids 20 22–30.
Szaso P., Rallison J.M. and Hinch E.J. (1997) Startup of flow of a F.E.N.E. fluid through a constriction J. Non Newt. fluid mechanics 72 73–86.
Ambari A., Jenffer P. and Guyon E. (1986) Réduction de la diffusion turbulente par adjonction de polymères CRAS 303 II 161.
Bowden T.P. and Tabor D. (1950) Friction and lubrication of solids Clarendon Oxford.
Baumberger T. and Caroli C. (1998) Multicontact solid friction MRS bulletin juin 1998 41–46.
de Gennes P.G. (1971) Reptation of a polymer chain in the presence of fixed obstacles J. Chem. Phys.. See de Gennes P.G. Scaling concepts in polymer physics Cornell Univ. Press New York
Doi M. and Edwards S. (1978) Dynamics of concentrated polymer systems J. Chem. Soc. Faraday Trans. II 74.
de Gennes P.G. (1987) Polymers at an interface: a simplified view Adv. in Coll. and Interface Science 27 189–209.
Hamley I. W. (1999) Block copolymers Oxford U. P. England.
Bates F. S and Fredrickson G. H. (1999) Block Copolymers Designer Soft Materials Physics Today 52 32–38.
LequeuxF. and Candau S. J. Structural properties of worm like micelles T. Mc Leich (ed.) in Theoretical challenges in the dynamics of complex fluids 181–190
Yodth A. and Chang B. (1994) Phys. Today 48 34
There has been a series of international workshops on molecular gastronomy held in Erice (Italy). The last one in april 1999 was directed by H. This and T. Blake and held in honor of the recently disappeared Low Temperature physicist N. Kurti who did so much to promote the field.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2000 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Guyon, E. (2000). What Is Soft Condensed Matter ?. In: Skjeltorp, A.T., Edwards, S.F. (eds) Soft Condensed Matter: Configurations, Dynamics and Functionality. NATO Science Series, vol 552. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4189-5_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4189-5_1
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-0-7923-6403-0
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-4189-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive