Excellent text for appreciating beauty of soft matter!
The chapters are written in straightforward language, conveying essential ideas and fundamentals in very readable manner. The book illustrates how one can convey complex ideas in simple words and yet capture all intricacies of the subject. The book is self contained introduction to colloids, polymers, liquid crystals, self-assembly, crystallization, glass transition, phase behavior and gelation. I have not encountered a better book that presents such a rich overview of these vastly different yet interrelated domain of condensed matter physics in less than 200 pages.
Since the book was written fairly recently, it presents a very modern understanding of described topics. The book by Chaikin and Lubensky (~700 pages) is the one written for anyone interested in meaty details, and equations in their full grandeur. Strobl's recent book on condensed matter is another excellent text and presents lots of physics in very well written graduate level text. But to taste and tempt into soft matter, Jones book definitely is the one to pick!
Published earlier on amazon!
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Review 4: The Physics of Liquid Crystals by P.G. De Gennes and J. Prost
Bible for liquid crystals!
Like every book by de Gennes, this book is a classic! This latest edition in a "must have" text for everyone even remotely associated with liquid crystals. The text is written in a self contained fashion, but the mathematics and physics is of advanced level, and to fully appreciate the content one must have some grip on statistical mechanics, tensor and vector algebra, electromagnetism and continuum physics. Thus it is ideal for physicists, a rewarding challenge for chemists and starting researchers.
To get a simple understanding of liquid crystals (without chemical and mathematical equations), a text by Peter J. Collins (Liquid Crystals: Nature's delicate phase of matter) is highly recommended. For people interested in synthesis of liquid crystals, this text has almost nothing to offer and maybe another text by Collins is more useful. Another important text on the physics of liquid crystals is by Chandershekar. But bottomline is while you may want to look at other texts for specific needs (synthesis or display devices), The Physics of Liquid Crystals by de Gennes is the book one must have and one must read to make a living in this area. (of course, I will read the whole text too....)
Published earlier on amazon
Like every book by de Gennes, this book is a classic! This latest edition in a "must have" text for everyone even remotely associated with liquid crystals. The text is written in a self contained fashion, but the mathematics and physics is of advanced level, and to fully appreciate the content one must have some grip on statistical mechanics, tensor and vector algebra, electromagnetism and continuum physics. Thus it is ideal for physicists, a rewarding challenge for chemists and starting researchers.
To get a simple understanding of liquid crystals (without chemical and mathematical equations), a text by Peter J. Collins (Liquid Crystals: Nature's delicate phase of matter) is highly recommended. For people interested in synthesis of liquid crystals, this text has almost nothing to offer and maybe another text by Collins is more useful. Another important text on the physics of liquid crystals is by Chandershekar. But bottomline is while you may want to look at other texts for specific needs (synthesis or display devices), The Physics of Liquid Crystals by de Gennes is the book one must have and one must read to make a living in this area. (of course, I will read the whole text too....)
Published earlier on amazon
Review 3: Principles of Condensed Matter Physics by P. M. Chaikin and T. C. Lubensky
Exhaustive treatment of soft matter physics
Given my training as engineer in undergraduate and as polymer scientist in my MS, I find this book a challenging endevour. It presupposes knowledge of quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics, and is written in a style most beneficial for Physics graduate students. Nonetheless, since every serious student in material science and polymer physics must indeed become comfortable with soft matter physics, this book is a delightful introduction. The book by RAL Jones can provide a quick introduction to phenomenon and principles encountered in the book. But to master the trade, to become comfortable with notation used in papers, to understand the math, to make yourself a soft matter physicist, this book provides matter, paradigm and principles in comprehensive manner.
Specifically book is essential reading for people studying physics of crystals, liquid crystals, amorphous materials, polymers and magnetically ordered systems. It provides detailed introduction to symmetry, phase transitions, field theories, scattering and correlation functions, and generalized elasticity and hydrodynamics. Each chapter and topic can be appreaciated by additional reading from a textbook each in Statistical Mechanics (Pathria), Electrodynamics (Slater and Frank), Quantum Mechanics, liquid crystals (chandrashekar or de gennes, polymers (doi, de gennes) and scattering (neutron-higgins, light-pecora). Like potential readers, I am myself a student, just starting on this daunting but worthwhile study of condensed matter.
Published earlier on amazon!
Given my training as engineer in undergraduate and as polymer scientist in my MS, I find this book a challenging endevour. It presupposes knowledge of quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics, and is written in a style most beneficial for Physics graduate students. Nonetheless, since every serious student in material science and polymer physics must indeed become comfortable with soft matter physics, this book is a delightful introduction. The book by RAL Jones can provide a quick introduction to phenomenon and principles encountered in the book. But to master the trade, to become comfortable with notation used in papers, to understand the math, to make yourself a soft matter physicist, this book provides matter, paradigm and principles in comprehensive manner.
Specifically book is essential reading for people studying physics of crystals, liquid crystals, amorphous materials, polymers and magnetically ordered systems. It provides detailed introduction to symmetry, phase transitions, field theories, scattering and correlation functions, and generalized elasticity and hydrodynamics. Each chapter and topic can be appreaciated by additional reading from a textbook each in Statistical Mechanics (Pathria), Electrodynamics (Slater and Frank), Quantum Mechanics, liquid crystals (chandrashekar or de gennes, polymers (doi, de gennes) and scattering (neutron-higgins, light-pecora). Like potential readers, I am myself a student, just starting on this daunting but worthwhile study of condensed matter.
Published earlier on amazon!
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Review 2: Colloidal Dispersions by W. B. Russel
Colloidal Dispersions is an excellent text, both for graduate students and for physicists/physical chemists foraying into the field of colloidal dispersions. The book starts by talking about particle hydrodynamics, then introduces Brownian motion and follows it up with description of different interaction forces experienced by colloidal particles. Thereafter, it discusses the thermodynamics of polymer in solution, how it affects the forces between the particles. In following chapters, it details the electrokinetic phenomena, and the physics of polymer mediated and charged mediated stabilization. The last few chapters return to dynamics again, with a chapter each devoted to sedimentation and rheology!
The book is beautifully written, and most of the material is useful as it is. Since this book was written in 1989, it requires a revision to bring it to the level of current understanding. The whole realm of nanoparticles is based on principles described here, as is the field of colloidal self-assembly. With a revision and few additions here and there, and maybe addition of some references to the work done between 1989-2005, the book can be made into workhouse of all colloidal scientists. I highly recommend this book to everyone interested in understanding the physical behavior of colloids. Coming with a background in Statistical Mechanics would be certainly helpful, and for people with training in Polymer Physics, the book can be understood by drawing analogies with the concepts used there. This is one of the best book in terms of the balance between the use of equations and words used to present physical picture and definitely one everyone in the field must read:) But as I said before, I will be greatly indebted to authors if they bring out a revised edition: I hope they do so soon!!
The book is beautifully written, and most of the material is useful as it is. Since this book was written in 1989, it requires a revision to bring it to the level of current understanding. The whole realm of nanoparticles is based on principles described here, as is the field of colloidal self-assembly. With a revision and few additions here and there, and maybe addition of some references to the work done between 1989-2005, the book can be made into workhouse of all colloidal scientists. I highly recommend this book to everyone interested in understanding the physical behavior of colloids. Coming with a background in Statistical Mechanics would be certainly helpful, and for people with training in Polymer Physics, the book can be understood by drawing analogies with the concepts used there. This is one of the best book in terms of the balance between the use of equations and words used to present physical picture and definitely one everyone in the field must read:) But as I said before, I will be greatly indebted to authors if they bring out a revised edition: I hope they do so soon!!
Review 1: The Structure and Rheology of Complex Fluids by Ron Larson
In this advanced text, Larson presents essential understanding required to appreciate the physics and dynamics of complex fluids (or soft condensed matter). In fact, he starts each chapter by presenting comprehensive introduction to the complex fluid, and then proceeds to provide detailed and erudite experimetal and theoretical insight into dynamical behavior.
The chapters include: polymers, glassy liquids, polymer gels, particulate suspensions, particulate gels, electro- and magneto-responsive suspensions, foams, emulsions and blends and lastly liquid crystals, liquid crystalline polymers, surfactant solutions and block copolymers. Each chapter in itself a complete overview of the structure and rheology of that system. It is written in a very readable fashion for self education, and also could serve as an excellent text for graduate courses.
Larson has presented the essential theoretical ideas about the chosen substance, summarised all the important references, and included many experimental results and other illustrations, mulled over solved and unsolved issues, provided applications, solved and unsolved examples, and created a text that every serious student, practioner in the dynamics of any of the complex fluids discussed in this book must have on his shelf. If you are just starting out as a researcher in the structure and rheology of gels, polymers, liquid crystals or block copolymers, this book is a perfect starting point for it provides necessary detail and knowhow with a clarity that would appeal to students across all disciplines. For polymer dynamics, the texts by Doi-Edwards and de Gennes; for liquid crystals by de Gennes; for colloidal dispersions by Russel and for meaty details of condensed matter physics the textbook by Lubensky and Chaikan will prove as inevitable supplementary reading.
PS: Also posted on Amazon!
The chapters include: polymers, glassy liquids, polymer gels, particulate suspensions, particulate gels, electro- and magneto-responsive suspensions, foams, emulsions and blends and lastly liquid crystals, liquid crystalline polymers, surfactant solutions and block copolymers. Each chapter in itself a complete overview of the structure and rheology of that system. It is written in a very readable fashion for self education, and also could serve as an excellent text for graduate courses.
Larson has presented the essential theoretical ideas about the chosen substance, summarised all the important references, and included many experimental results and other illustrations, mulled over solved and unsolved issues, provided applications, solved and unsolved examples, and created a text that every serious student, practioner in the dynamics of any of the complex fluids discussed in this book must have on his shelf. If you are just starting out as a researcher in the structure and rheology of gels, polymers, liquid crystals or block copolymers, this book is a perfect starting point for it provides necessary detail and knowhow with a clarity that would appeal to students across all disciplines. For polymer dynamics, the texts by Doi-Edwards and de Gennes; for liquid crystals by de Gennes; for colloidal dispersions by Russel and for meaty details of condensed matter physics the textbook by Lubensky and Chaikan will prove as inevitable supplementary reading.
PS: Also posted on Amazon!
Saturday, May 07, 2005
Soft Condensed Matter: Introduction!
Soft Condensed Matter encompasses a rich variety of materials: polymers, gels, liquid crystals, colloids, surfactants, etc. Their dynamical properties are characteristically different from most of the Newtonian fluids as well as Hookean solids and many researchers call this field as the area of complex fluids. The complexity is manifested in having non-linear responses to a variety of external fields, say external shear, and this propensity to flow or deform under appropriate stress is a reason why complex fluids are also called soft matter or fragile matter. In fact, Fragile Objects, a collection of ideas, lectures and discourses by Pierre Gilles de Gennes is one of the best introductions to the area. de Gennes is not only the most celebrated scientist of the area, but also one of the best authors in the field, where his every text is marked by his deep insight and ability to describe complex phenomena using simple scaling concepts.
I plan this blogsite as an experimental journal of my own thoughts on various areas on soft matter. I will add a number of reviews also posted on amazon and collect useful references from all over the world wide web. I also hope to have a wide viewership, where people come read the stuff, and offer suggestions, insights, criticism and encouragement for this endevour:)
Vivek Sharma
May 07, 2005
I plan this blogsite as an experimental journal of my own thoughts on various areas on soft matter. I will add a number of reviews also posted on amazon and collect useful references from all over the world wide web. I also hope to have a wide viewership, where people come read the stuff, and offer suggestions, insights, criticism and encouragement for this endevour:)
Vivek Sharma
May 07, 2005
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