Welcome to the homepage of the Nonequilibrium Soft Matter group.

We think that nonequilibrium physics is among the most exciting frontiers of science. We are interested in the transitions, self-organization, and collective states of inert and living matter. We use theory and computer simulations to investigate soft matter systems such active swimmers, liquid crystals, granular matter. From bacteria to biofilms, from simple molecules to large-scale patterns, our main goal is to identify the driving mechanisms of complex matter organization.

On the small scale, molecules with anisotropic interactions exhibit a profusion of interesting states of organization. We aim at investigating their structural and dynamical properties, useful in self-assembly or in functional materials, for example in liquid crystals, whose behavior in dictated by interactions and topology. Once geometrical confinement or hydrodynamic flow are present, soft matter system offer opportunities for smart, tunable materials. At larger scales, hydrodynamics open countless nonequilibrium phenomena, from clustering of granular gases to microfluidic manipulation. At the even larger scale of microorganisms, our goal is to understand the complexity in motile phytoplankton and biofilms. Finally, we aim at uncovering basic physical principles in the organization of collections of cognitive agents, the most sophisticated nonequilibrium system.

Recent Publications

• A. Scacchi, M. G. Mazza, and A. J. Archer, "Sensitive dependence on molecular interactions of length scales in sheared soft matter", Phys. Rev. Research 2, 032064(R) (2020). PDF

• H. Hornischer, S. Herminghaus, and M. G. Mazza, "Structural transition in the collective behavior of cognitive agents", Sci. Rep. 9, 12477 (2019). PDF

• S. Mandal and M. G. Mazza, "Multiparticle collision dynamics for tensorial nematodynamics", Phys. Rev. E 99, 063319 (2019). PDF -- Editors' Suggestion.

• C. Singh and M. G. Mazza, "Electrification in granular gases leads to constrained fractal growth", Sci. Rep. 9, 9049 (2019). PDF

• R. E. Breier, C. C. Lalescu, D. Waas, M. Wilczek, and M. G. Mazza, "Emergence of phytoplankton patchiness at small scales in mild turbulence", Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 115, 12112 (2018). PDF + Suppl. Info. Featured in Physics World

Here is a complete list of publications

Research