Acquisition of Instrumentation for Research and Student Training in Imaging Fast Dynamics in Macroscopic Disordered Media

这笔 IMR 赠款将有助于购买超快、高分辨率视频成像系统，用于对微米到几厘米尺度的软凝聚态物质系统中的快速运动进行高级成像。 PI 小组研究的物理系统包括凝胶、胶体、皱褶膜、颗粒材料和多孔介质中的多相流。 这项工作的统一主题是对非平衡系统的研究，其中基本单元与分子尺度相比很大。 处理此类非热统计系统的基础理论框架仍处于起步阶段，然而，通过适当的仪器，可以以传统材料不可能的方式对这些系统的单个宏观“原子和分子”的动力学进行详细成像。 视频成像系统将提高我们能够获取的帧速率、空间分辨率和数据流的长度。 帧速率的提高将允许捕捉快速动态，例如高度激发的颗粒介质中的弹道运动；改进的分辨率将有助于解决笼式系统中的热运动等小运动，而更长的数据流将能够搜索罕见但重要的动态事件，例如受力材料中的间歇性裂纹跳跃和屈曲事件。其他本地用户也可以通过网页安排时间来使用该成像系统。 用户将得到研究生的帮助，从而扩大他们接触更广泛的科学问题的范围。 许多项目都需要本科生的大量参与，新功能将使他们能够接触到材料物理非常直观的分支中的先进技术。这项IMR赠款将有助于购买超快、高分辨率的视频成像系统，用于对微米到几厘米尺度的软凝聚态物质系统中的快速运动进行高级成像。研究小组研究的物理系统包括凝胶、胶体、皱褶膜、颗粒材料和多孔介质中的多相流。 这些都是具有巨大工业重要性的系统，然而，它们也提出了新的基本科学挑战，因为它们是统计尺寸的系统，其基本单元与分子尺度相比非常大。 处理此类非热系统的基础理论框架仍处于起步阶段，然而，通过适当的仪器，可以以传统材料不可能的方式对这些系统的单个宏观“原子和分子”的动力学进行详细成像。 视频成像系统将提高帧速率、空间分辨率和数据流长度，从而使研究新现象成为可能。除了研究人员自己安排的项目外，其他本地用户也可以通过网页安排时间来使用成像系统。 用户将得到研究生的帮助，从而扩大他们接触更广泛的科学问题的范围。 许多项目都需要本科生的大量参与，新的能力将使他们能够接触到材料物理这一非常直观的分支的先进技术。

This IMR grant will enable the purchase of an ultrafast, high-resolution, video-imaging system for advanced imaging of fast motions in soft-condensed matter systems from a scale of microns to several centimetres. The physical systems worked on by the group of PIs include gels, colloids, crumpled membranes, granular materials, and multiphase flow in porous media. The unifying theme in this work is the study of non-equilibrium systems in which the elementary units are large compared to molecular scales. The underlying theoretical framework to deal with such non-thermal statistical systems is still in its infancy, however, with the appropriate instrumentation it is possible to perform detailed imaging of the dynamics of the individual macroscopic "atoms and molecules" of these systems in a way that is not possible in conventional materials. The video-imaging system will enhance the frame rate, spatial resolution and the length of data streams we are able to acquire. The increased frame rate will allow capturing fast dynamics, such as ballistic motions in highly excited granular media; the improved resolution will help resolve small motions such as thermal motions in caged systems and longer data streams will enable a search for rare but important dynamical events such as intermittent crack jumps and buckling events in stressed materials. The imaging system will also be available to other local users by scheduling time via a webpage. The users will be aided by graduate students, thus broadening their exposure to a broad spectrum of scientific problems. Many of the projects involve considerable involvement by undergraduate students and the new capabilities will afford them exposure to advanced techniques in a very visual branch of materials physics.This IMR grant will enable the purchase of an ultrafast, high-resolution, video-imaging system for advanced imaging of fast motions in soft-condensed matter systems from a scale of microns to several centimetres. The physical systems worked on by the group of investigators include gels, colloids, crumpled membranes, granular materials, and multiphase flow in porous media. These are all systems of immense industrial importance, however, they also present new basic scientific challenges in that they are statistically-sized systems with elementary units that are very large compared to molecular scales. The underlying theoretical framework to deal with such non-thermal systems is still in its infancy, however, with the appropriate instrumentation it is possible to perform detailed imaging of the dynamics of the individual macroscopic "atoms and molecules" of these systems in a way that is not possible in conventional materials. The video-imaging system will enhance the frame rate, spatial resolution and the length of data streams making it possible to study new phenomena. Apart from projects scheduled by the investigators themselves, the imaging system will be available to other local users by scheduling time via a webpage. The users will be aided by graduate students, thus broadening their exposure to a broad spectrum of scientific problems. Many of the projects involve considerable involvement by undergraduate students and the new capabilities will afford them exposure to advanced techniques in a very visual branch of materials physics.