Open positions
I am always looking for highly motivated students to join my research group. If you are interested in a BSc/MSc internship or a PhD/Postdoctoral position, please feel free to reach out via my email: badr.kaoui@utc.fr
Rheology of Soft Particles: Interplay Between Particle Deformability and Inter-Particle Forces
Understanding the behavior of soft particles in flow remains a major challenge, particularly when it comes to controlling their dynamics for industrial and biomedical applications. This project focuses on fluid-filled soft particles enclosed by a thin, deformable membrane, commonly referred to as capsules. For the first time, we aim to investigate how microscale chemical and physical interactions between particles influence the macroscopic rheology of suspensions.
This research lies at the intersection of complex fluid dynamics, soft matter physics, and computational modeling, with broad applications in biology, food science, environmental engineering, and pharmaceuticals. While our group has extensively studied soft particle dynamics under flow, the effect of inter-particle forces has not yet been incorporated into our models or simulations.
In both natural systems (e.g., red blood cells) and engineered capsules, inter-particle interactions arise from mechanisms such as adhesion, friction, and electrostatic forces. Their impact on suspension rheology remains largely unexplored. Studies on rigid particles have shown that adhesive interactions can lead to aggregation, accumulation, and wall adhesion. This project will explore similar phenomena in soft particles, systematically varying particle deformability and interaction strength.
The main objectives are to:
Develop new theoretical models for inter-particle forces.
Integrate these models into our in-house 3D simulation framework, which already accounts for two-way fluid–structure interactions.
Validate the extended models through collaborations with experimental partners specializing in capsule fabrication and rheological measurements.
This work is part of an ANR-funded project: SOCA (ANR-24-CE06-6245-02).
We are seeking a skilled scientific programmer with strong experience in Linux/Unix, Fortran/C/C++, MPI, and ParaView. An academic background in fluid mechanics, physics, or chemistry is required. The role includes developing new models for contact between particles and optimizing high-performance simulation codes. It also involves analyzing and visualizing large datasets and working on interdisciplinary projects in soft matter, rheology, and biomedical applications. Candidates should have a passion for computational physics and expertise in numerical methods for CFD and FSI. Proficiency in intensive and parallel computing is essential. The successful applicant will contribute to innovative research at the intersection of mechanics, physics, chemistry, and biomedical engineering.
Host Laboratory:
Laboratoire Biomécanique et Bioingénierie (UMR CNRS 7338)
Université de Technologie de Compiègne, Compiègne, France
https://bmbi.utc.fr
Contact for Applications:
Dr. Badr Kaoui
badr.kaoui@utc.fr