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SUMMARY:Forces from fluctuations in and out of equilibrium (in QED and Act
 ive Matter) - Prof Mehran Kardar\, MIT
DTSTART:20231108T160000Z
DTEND:20231108T170000Z
UID:TALK206950@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Nur Unal
DESCRIPTION:The pressure of a gas\, the van der Waals attraction between m
 olecules\, and the Casimir force in quantum electrodynamic (QED) are commo
 n examples of forces resulting from equilibrium (thermal or quantum) fluct
 uations. Current research on “Active Matter” studies collective behavi
 ors of large groups of self-driven entities (living or artificial)\, whose
  random motions superficially resemble thermally fluctuating particles. Ho
 wever\, the absence of time reversal symmetry leads to unusual phenomena s
 uch as directed (ratchet) forces\, and a pressure that depends on the shap
 e and structure of the confining wall.\n\nSome manifestations of QED fluct
 uations out of thermal equilibrium are well-known\, as in the Stefan-Boltz
 mann laws of radiation pressure and heat transfer. These laws\, however\, 
 acquire non-trivial twists in the near-field regime of sub-micron separati
 ons\, and in the proximity of moving surfaces.  Symmetry arguments suggest
  that lateral ratchet forces should emerge out of equilibrium and with bro
 ken spatial symmetry. We inquire if such forces can be used to construct a
  heat engine\, and discuss constraints on its operation.
LOCATION:Small Lecture Theatre\, Cavendish Laboratory\, J.J. Thomson Avenu
 e
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