Higgs School on Advances in Computational Active Matter

Europe/London
James Clerk Maxwell Building

James Clerk Maxwell Building

Mayfield Road Edinburgh EH9 3JZ UK
Joakim Stenhammar (Lund University), Joost de Graaf (Utrecht University), Silke Henkes (Leiden University), Tyler Shendruk (University of Edinburgh)
Description

Active matter has emerged as a field with strong ties to non-equilibrium soft condensed matter and biological physics. Successes of the field include describing the dynamics of motile microbes and flocks of birds, defect self-propulsion in liquid crystals, wound healing and tissue fluidization, modeling of colony growth, and much more. The development of this field owes much to computational techniques. We have therefore put together a school that will introduce early-career researchers to the topic of computational methods for active matter.

Topics Covered

We will provide lectures on 10 topics within computational active matter, each consisting of two 90 minutes sessions, spread over five days. This includes:

  • Active-Brownian and Run-and-Tumble Particles
  • Cellular-Potts and Vertex Models for Tissues
  • Phase-Field Approaches for Pattern-Forming Active Systems
  • Hydrodynamic Methods for Active Systems, including
  • Lattice Boltzmann, Multi-Particle Collision Dynamics, and Stokesian Dynamics
  • Squirmer models and immersed boundary conditions
  • Phoretic Interaction in Chemical Swimmers

The school is concluded with a lecture on the future of active matter systems and will have a group dinner.

Lecturers

We have confirmed the following lecturers and speakers:

  • Prof. Dr. Benno Liebchen (Technische Universitรคt Darmstadt, Germany)
  • Prof. Dr. Chantal Valeriani (Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain)
  • Prof. Dr. Davide Marenduzzo (University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom)
  • Prof. Dr. Enkeleida Lushi (New Jersey Institute of Technology, United States of America)
  • Prof. Dr. Erika Tsingos (Utrecht University, Netherlands)
  • Prof. Dr. Gwynn Elfring (University of British Columbia, Canada)
  • Prof. Dr. Holger Stark (Technische Universitรคt Berlin, Germany)
  • Prof. Dr. Ignacio Pagonabarraga (University of Barcelona, Spain)
  • Prof. Dr. Rastko Sknepnek (University of Dundee, United Kingdom)
  • Prof. Dr. Timm Krรผger (University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom)

A detailed schedule of the lecturing will be made available soon.

Participation:

If you would like to attend, please register by Sunday March 30th 2025. There is a ยฃ150 participation fee, which includes the group dinner, lunches, and refreshments. You will be provided with the payment link once your registration is confirmed. You will need to arrange accommodation on your own. We are limited to 40 participants. Should the school be oversubscribed, we will give preference to PhD students. Registrations should be accompanied by a 100 word motivation and a short CV (max. 1 A4 page) to help us make a selection in that case.


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    • 13:00 16:30
      Bootcamp
      Conveners: Joost de Graaf (Utrecht University), Silke Henkes (Leiden University)
      • 13:00
        Bootcamp: Monte Carlo, thermostats, random numbers and general considerations 1h 30m

        Joost de Graaf

        Speaker: Joost de Graaf (Utrecht University)
      • 14:45
        Bootcamp: Active particles and analysing simulation data 1h 30m

        Silke Henkes

        Speaker: Silke Henkes (Leiden University)
    • 16:30 17:30
      Walk up Authur's Seat

      A walk to see beautiful Edinburgh

      Convener: Tyler Shendruk (University of Edinburgh)
    • 09:00 12:30
      Morning Session: LAMMPS and Cellular Potts
      Convener: Tyler Shendruk (University of Edinburgh)
      • 09:00
        Introduction 15m

        Joakim Stenhammar

        Speaker: Joakim Stenhammar (Lund University)
      • 09:15
        Active Brownian Particles 1h 30m

        Chantal Valeriani

        Speaker: Chantal Valeriani
      • 10:45
        Coffee 15m
      • 11:00
        Collective behavior of cells in animal development 1h 30m

        Erika Tsingos

        Speaker: Erika Tsingos
    • 12:30 14:00
      Lunch 1h 30m
    • 14:00 17:30
      Afternoon Session: LAMMPS and Cellular Potts
      Convener: Tyler Shendruk (University of Edinburgh)
      • 14:00
        Run-and-tumble particles 1h 30m

        Chantal Valeriani

        Speaker: Chantal Valeriani
      • 15:30
        Coffee 30m
      • 16:00
        Cell-based modelling approaches to animal development 1h 30m

        Erika Tsingos

        Speaker: Erika Tsingos
    • 17:30 19:30
      Reception and Poster Session

      Magnet Cafe

      Convener: Tyler Shendruk (University of Edinburgh)
    • 09:00 12:30
      Morning Session: Vertex and Phase Field Models
      • 09:00
        Vertex model for tissue mechanics 1h 30m

        Rastko Sknepnek

        Speaker: Rastko Sknepnek
      • 10:30
        Coffee 30m
      • 11:00
        Continuum theories for active particles 1h 30m

        Benno Liebchen

        Speaker: Benno Liebchen
    • 12:30 14:00
      Lunch 1h 30m
    • 14:00 17:30
      Afternoon Session: Vertex and Phase Field Models
      • 14:00
        Modelling active elastic membranes and sheets using triangulated surfaces 1h 30m

        Rastko Sknepnek

        Speaker: Rastko Sknepnek
      • 15:30
        Coffee 30m
      • 16:00
        Pattern formation in phoretic active matter 1h 30m

        Benno Liebchen

        Speaker: Benno Liebchen
    • 18:30 20:00
      Theoretical Physics Tour of Edinburgh: Theoretical Physics Walking Tour

      A 1.5hr tour of Edinburgh.

      Leaves from the Old College Quad: https://maps.app.goo.gl/2GBqgHbnUuKMWxQX9

      Convener: Tyler Shendruk (University of Edinburgh)
    • 09:00 12:30
      Morning Session: Stokesian Dynamics and Lattice Boltzmann Methods
      • 09:00
        Hydrodynamic interactions in Stokes flow 1h 30m

        Gwynn Elfring

        Speaker: Gwynn Elfring
      • 10:30
        Coffee 30m
      • 11:00
        Lattice Boltzmann method: principles 1h 30m

        Timm Krueger

        Speaker: Timm Krueger
    • 12:30 14:00
      Lunch 1h 30m
    • 14:00 17:30
      Afternoon Session: Stokesian Dynamics and Lattice Boltzmann Methods
      • 14:00
        Active Stokesian Dynamics 1h 30m

        Gwynn Elfring

        Speaker: Gwynn Elfring
      • 15:30
        Coffee 30m
      • 16:00
        Lattice Boltzmann method: suspensions and fluctuating hydrodynamics 1h 30m

        Timm Krueger

        Speaker: Timm Krueger
    • 19:30 22:00
      School Dinner: School dinner

      Gusto Restaurant https://maps.app.goo.gl/YX4UUBXSAWWx5zu68

      Convener: Tyler Shendruk (University of Edinburgh)
    • 09:00 12:30
      Morning Session: Immersed Boundary Methods and Multi-phase Cahn-Hilliard Dynamics
      • 09:00
        Immersed boundary methods: theory and implementation 1h 30m

        Enkeleida Lushi

        Speaker: Enkeleida Lushi
      • 10:30
        Coffee 30m
      • 11:00
        Theory of phase field models with and without hydrodynamics 1h 30m

        Davide Marenduzzo

        Speaker: Davide Marenduzzo (School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh)
    • 12:30 14:00
      Lunch 1h 30m
    • 14:00 17:30
      Afternoon Session: Immersed Boundary Methods and Multi-phase Cahn-Hilliard Dynamics
      • 14:00
        Immersed boundary methods: applications to active matter 1h 30m

        Enkeleida Lushi

        Speaker: Enkeleida Lushi
      • 15:30
        Coffee 30m
      • 16:00
        Tissue and cell monolayer modelling via phase fields 1h 30m

        Davide Marenduzzo

        Speaker: Davide Marenduzzo (School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh)
    • 09:00 12:30
      Morning Session: Hydrodynamic Studies of Microswimmers and Multi-Particle Collision Dynamics
      • 09:00
        Hydrodynamic Studies of Microswimmers I: Multi-particle collision dynamics and squirmers 1h 30m

        Holger Stark

        Speaker: Holger Stark
      • 10:30
        Coffee 30m
      • 11:00
        Multi-particle collision dynamics for active fluids 1h 30m

        Tyler Shendruk

        Speaker: Tyler Shendruk (University of Edinburgh)
    • 12:30 14:00
      Lunch 1h 30m
    • 14:00 17:30
      Afternoon Session: Hydrodynamic Studies of Microswimmers and Conclusion
      • 14:00
        Hydrodynamic Studies of Microswimmers II: Squirmer rods, E. coli bacteria, African trypanosomes, ... 1h 30m

        Holger Stark

        Speaker: Holger Stark
      • 15:30
        Coffee 30m
      • 16:00
        What have we learned? 1h

        Ignacio Pagonabarraga

        Speaker: Ignacio Pagonabarraga