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Research
1. Molecular simulation of materials. We model materials at the molecular level so that the properties of the material can be predicted from first principles – i.e., without relying on experimental data. In these studies, large scale computer simulations are carried out to determine the dynamic trajectories of the constituent atoms, and from these trajectories the properties of the material are derived using statistical mechanics. Our focus is on the deformation and flow properties of disordered systems, including liquids, glassy solids, and biological systems such as proteins. 2. Triboelectric charging. Rubbing two surfaces can generate electrostatic charges on the surfaces. For example, this charging often occurs when you walk across a rug – and you find out about it when you touch a doorknob and feel the shock. While this triboelectric charging is very common, and can have important consequences in many diverse settings, it is surprising that the fundamental physics that underlie the charging is not well understood. We are studying this phenomenon with a combined experimental and theoretical approach.
Selected PublicationsForward, K. M., Lacks, D. J. and Sankaran, R. M., “Particle-size dependent bipolar charging of Martian regolith simulant”, Geophys. Res. Lett. 36 L13201 (2009). Forward, K. M., Lacks, D. J. and Sankaran, R. M., “Charge segregation depends on particle size in triboelectrically charged granular materials”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 028001 (2009) Lacks, D. J., Duff, N. and Kumar, S. K., “Nonequilibrium accumulation of surface species and triboelectric charging in single component particulate systems”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 188305 (2008) Fan, H., Hartshorn, C., Buchheit, T., Tallant, T., Assink, R., Simpson, R., Kissel, D. J., Lacks, D. J., Torquato, S., and Brinker, C. J., “Modulus-density scaling behavior and framework architecture of nanoporous, self-assembled silicas”, Nature Materials 6, 418 (2007). Forward, K., Moster, A. L., Schwartz, D. K. and Lacks, D. J., “Contact angles of sub-millimeter particles: Connecting wettability to nanoscale surface topography”, Langmuir 23, 5255 (2007). Lacks, D. J. and Van Orman, J. A. “Molecular dynamics investigation of viscosity, chemical diffusivities and partial molar volumes along the MgO-SiO2 join as functions of pressure”, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 71, 1312 (2007). O’Connor, K. C., Muhitch, J. W., Lacks, D. J., and Al-Rubeai, M., “Modeling suppression of cell death by Bcl-2 over-expression in myeloma NS0 6A1 cells”, Biotech. Lett. 28, 1919 (2006). Duff, N., Duong, N.-H., and Lacks, D. J., “Stretching the Immunoglobulin 27 domain of the titin protein: The dynamic energy landscape”, Biophys. J. 91, 3446 (2006). Isner, B. A. and Lacks, D. J., “Generic rugged landscapes under strain and the possibility of rejuvenation in glasses”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 025506 (2006). |
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Research in our lab has two thrusts: