Soft Matter Far from Equilibrium

The 2011 Gordon Conference on “Soft Condensed Matter Physics: Soft Matter Far from Equilibrium” will highlight a wide range of phenomena at the forefront of soft materials research where traditional concepts, based on equilibrium physics, fail to provide an accurate description. Potential topics include fluids and solids undergoing catastrophic deformations, active and self-propelled systems, new developments in and applications of turbulence, dynamics and flow in confined and driven systems, jamming and glassy systems, and the interplay of geometry and topology in soft materials. Invited speakers will represent a variety of scientific disciplines, ranging from soft condensed matter physics to chemical engineering to geophysics. The Conference will bring together investigators who are at the cutting edge of their field, and it will provide opportunities for junior scientists and graduate students to present their work in poster format as well as exchange ideas with leaders in the field. As a means to stimulate further exchange of ideas we plan to select by jury 3-4 junior presenters of particularly outstanding posters to give short talks. The collegial atmosphere of this Conference, with programmed sessions as well as opportunities for informal gatherings in the afternoons and evenings, provides an avenue for scientists from different disciplines to brainstorm and promotes cross-disciplinary collaborations in the various research areas represented. The conference will be preceded by a two-day Gordon-Kenan Research Seminar that provides a unique opportunity for young researchers to share in the GRC experience and build informal networks with their peers.