A satellite meeting of the Statistical Physics International Conference (Statphys 2019) was organized by the Millennium Nucleus Physics of Active Matter.
Only 20 years ago, physicists coined the term “Active Matter” to refer to those systems compound by many biological or artificial agents in which every individual can take energy from the environment to generate a synchronic and coordinate movement. Examples of this are flocks of birds, hives of insects, shoals of fishes, bacteria suspension and artificial swimmers, among others.
This is the reason why today the active matter is one of the forefront investigation areas in modern physics. Knowing its properties promise to revolutionize medicine, biotechnology, and electronics through the development of intelligent and reconfigurable materials. Besides, it is the perfect prototype to build and test a new out of equilibrium matter theoretical framework since today it does not exist a theory that allows explaining all the related phenomena that have active matter has as its first paradigm.
It is not surprising that over 40 scientists from all over the world meet in Viña del Mar to debate and show their last studies about the active matter in the satellite Meeting of the Statistical Physics International Conference (Statphys 2019), performed in Viña del Mar a few days ago.
The event was organized by the Millennium Nucleus Physics of Active Matter of the Physic Department of the Physics and Mathematics Sciences Faculty of the University of Chile, a center that counted with the support of an international scientific committee constituted by experts from California (Santa Bárbara), Sorbonne, Northwestern y Johannes Gutenberg Universities.
“The conference was very successful because allowed the gather of many physicists from the active matter area. We must highlight the participation of the invited lecturers Julia Yeomans (Oxford University), Cecile Cottin-Bizonne (Lyon University), David Saintillan (California University, San Diego), Silke Henkes (Bristol University), Anna Balasz (Pittsburgh University) y Lev Tsimring (California University, San Diego), who are outstanding personalities in this area. Also, we thank the participation of researchers and the scientists of the Millennium Nucleus and students from many countries. The discussion was lively, with considerable debate and everyone highlighted the organization and the quality of the lecturers”, said María Luisa Cordero, Alternate Director of the Millennial Nucleus Physics of Active Matter.
Collaboration and visibility
The Millennial Nucleus Physics of Active Matter, pioneers in Chile, was born in 2007 and financed by the Millennium Initiative of the Economy Ministry. To date, counts with 16 researchers, 12 Ph.D., Master’s Program and Graduate students, 2 laboratories, cutting-edge equipment and, 17 publications. Among its investigations stand out the design of microrobots, bacteria-propelled motors, biological tissue modeling, bacteria within confined environments and the development of a thermodynamic theory for the active matter.
In the meeting, the Millennium Nucleus participated with a lecture in charge of Francisca Guzmán, Associated Researcher of the Center. Also, many students of the Nucleus presented posters along with the rest of Latin America and other countries students.
“This conference allows us to locate ourselves within the Active Matter Physics Community and spread out our work”, said María Luisa Cordero.
Rodrigo Soto, Director of the Millennium Nucleus, highlighted the exchange and partnership that allows generating this kind of encounter. “We saw many subjects in common that can give rise to exchanges. For example, we are going to calculate some transport properties just like Celine Cottin-Bizonne (University of Lyon) is measuring. Also, we are going to analyze bacteria colonies in several strains, the same Lev Tsimring (California University, San Diego) is doing on his experiments. Besides, our students were able to contact other researchers to make post-doctorates in the future”, Soto said.
International Scientists highlighted the gender parity since four of the six lecturers were females.
Felipe Barra, Associated Researcher of the Millennium Nucleus and Director of the Physics Department of the University of Chile (DFI) said: “For the FDI is very important that its members organize and participate in conferences, especially because allows more of our students to participate having one of the characteristic experiences in the field”, he said.