This speaker event is virtual, but will be screened in PICS 534 with refreshments. Abstract: Equilibrium thermodynamics emerges from equilibrium statistical mechanics as the most likely behavior of a system in the macroscopic limit. Over the last two decades, significant progress has been made in formulating statistical mechanics for small systems operating far-from-equilibrium. The resulting […]

Abstract: The volume fraction phi for random close packed (RCP) spheres is approximately 0.64. It is well known that higher RCP volume fractions are achieved by using collections of particles with a variety of sizes. The variety of sizes is often quantified by the polydispersity of the particle size distribution: the standard deviation of the […]

Abstract: Flow predictions in the stratified atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) are critical to a range of applications including energy meteorology, sustainability and resilience of the built environment, and wildfire management. Physical ABL processes such as boundary layer turbulence and surface-atmosphere interactions are parameterized in the weather and climate models that drive predictions used for decision-making […]