Tuesday, 10/20/2026
2:00 PM
Steinman Hall, #124 (Exhibit Room)
Professor Hunter King
Rutgers University/Camden, Department of Physics
“Emergent Granular Cohesion”
ABSTRACT
Granular materials famously transition from a fluid-like state to a solid-like `jammed’ state when externally confined. Mechanical behaviors of the jammed state vary with grain geometry and mechanics, and include the emergence of cohesion in slender grains that lack real adhesive interactions. Despite familiarity with naturally occurring examples, such as bird nests and hair balls, the nature of this cohesive state is not rigorously understood. In the talk, I will describe our recent work with tangled sticks, plans for investigating yarn spinning from a granular/metamaterial perspective, and a hypothesis that connects them.
BRIEF ACADEMIC/EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:
BS:University of Massachusetts Amherst – Physics
MS: Bogazici University, Istanbul – Physics
PhD: University of Massachusetts Amherst – Physics
Postdoc: Harvard – SEAS
Asst. Prof.: University of Akron – Polymer Science / Biology
Asst. Prof.: Rutgers University — Camden – Physics / CCIB
MOST RECENT RESEARCH INTERESTS:
Soft matter and unexpected physics employed in animal engineering — by spiders, termites, ant-plants
