Research Interests:
1. Structure and dynamics of
complex fluids such as polymeric, polyelectrolytic and micellar
solutions, liquid crystals suspended in
random environments,
synthetic
clays, aqueous foams, colloidal glasses, microemulsions etc.
2. Dynamic light and
x-ray scattering;
optical spectroscopies: diffusing
wave spectroscopies of
complex fluids; use of high-brilliance
x-ray radiation to study the
structure and dynamics of suspensions; development of new techniques for
dynamic light scattering
studies of the rapid, repetitive
dynamics in complex fluids; scattering and absorption of radiation at
randomly oriented interfaces;
corrections to theories of diffusive transort to
model light scattering in media with appreciable absorption.
3. Flow and deformation
behavior of non-newtonian fluids: response of micellar solutions,
colloidal suspensions, liquid crystals with
quenched disorder to shear stresses; dependence of
the flow behavior of complex fluids on their individual microstructures.
4. Phase transitions and
mechanical instabilities in complex fluids: jamming and unsteady rheology.
5. Methods of nonlinear
dynamics and chaos theory: turbulence
in newtonian and non-newtonian fluids; existence of chaotic dynamics
in physical systems; the possibility of the control
of chaos in these systems; the nonlinear aspects of friction.
6. Dynamics of sedimenting
suspensions: sedimentation
behavior of
anisotropic colloids; bidisperse sedimentation; hydrodaynamic
dispersion.
7. Aging and rejuvenation of
complex fluids: evolution
of
the structures and dynamics of colloidal suspensions of repulsive/
weakly
attractive particles of varying degrees of
anisotropy; pH dependence of the aging behavior of electrostatically
interacting colloidal
suspensions.
Back to home page