Topological structures in polymers: a comparison between numerical simulations and calorimetry

Polymers are long, tiny filaments that are most likely of entangle
forming complicated topological structures. The presence of such
structures in polymer materials modifies their behavior, like for
instance the visco-elastic response of soft matter. This PhD project
aims to understand how the phenomenon of topological entanglement in
polymers influences the mechanical and thermal properties of polymer
materials depending for instance on the concentration of knots and
links or on the complexity of the knotting. The investigations will be
performed using numerical simulations. In parallel, calorimetric
methods will be developed in order to test the theoretical predictions
with experiments.
The PhD project will be carried on under the supervision of
Prof. Franco Ferrari at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of the
University of Szczecin in collaboration with the Institute of Physics
of the University of Rostock in Germany.
The Phd student will have a basic salary of about 1000 EUR
(4000PLN). There is also the possibility to apply for additional funds that
are assigned every year by the University of Szczecin on the
basis of a selection in which the individual scientific achievements
are evaluated. The successful candidate will have also the
possibility of participating in schools and conferences and visit
other Institutions. There is the possibility of a cheap accomodation (about 120 EUR/month) at one of the Student’s Residences of the University of Szczecin.