statistical mechanics

A single strand of polymer is a chain of a large number of monomers.  The monomers are joined by covalent bonds, and two bonded monomers may rotate relative to each other.  At a finite temperature, the polymer rapidly changes from one configuration to another.  When the two ends of the polymer are pulled by a force, the distance between the two ends changes.  The polymer is known as an entropic spring.

We are currently looking for a top candidate to join the System Level Design group at CMU (www.ece.cmu.edu/~sld/), as a Postdoctoral Associate, starting Spring 2013. Main responsibilities involve work on modeling and control of stochastic micro-robotic swarms targeting biological applications.

Notes and slides for a course on engineering thermodynamics.  I used the Dover edition of Carnot's book.

(Journal of Elasticity, Carlson memorial Volume)

A methodology is devised to utilize the statistical mechanical entropy of an isolated, constrained atomistic system to define the dissipative driving-force and energetic fields in continuum thermomechanics. A thermodynamic model of dislocation mechanics is discussed. One outcome is a definition for the mesoscale back-stress tensor and the symmetric, polar dislocation density-dependent, Cauchy stress tensor from atomistic ingredients.

For a system in thermal contact with the rest of the world, we have described three quantities: entropy, energy, and temperature. We have also described the idea of a constraint internal to the system, and associated this constraint to an internal variable.

The lecture notes of the two courses I taught at Stanford University during the last two quarters, "ME 340 Elasticity" and "ME 334 Introduction to Statistical Mechanics", are available in PDF format online at:



  http://micro.stanford.edu/~caiwei/me340/



  http://micro.stanford.edu/~caiwei/me334/

Perhaps it could be useful to you.