Synthetic and biological active matter
Synthetic active matter
Active matter does not require any external stress to flow and deform: it is driven from within. For the past twenty year, statistical mechanicians and soft condensed matter physicist set out to understanding the basic physics that rule the spontaneous deformations and fluctuations of living and synthetic active materials. In team 6, to get at robust and generic principles we combine model laboratory experiments, numerical simulations and theory.
Physics of crowds and animal collectives
How does a school of fish turn in unison, a flock of birds twist to evade a predator, or a crowd of thousands of people oscillate in synchrony? The goal of our research is to understand and predict the dynamics of human crowds and animal collectives. To discover the basic principles that govern collective motion in nature, we combine field observations, quantitative data analysis and active-matter theory.