Geometry and Mechanics of Continuous Materials

My background is in theoretical soft condensed matter physics, where I'm interested in the connection between the geometry of continuum materials, and how their geometry affects their response to external forces. My PhD research involved two different projects along this theme. The first project I worked on involved developing a simulation method to calculate the motion of arbitrarily shaped, charged particles in a fluid under the influence of an applied electric field. I then, along with an undergraduate student, applied this method to demonstrate chiral electrophoretic for a handful of shapes and charge distributions. The second project I worked on involved how elastic stress focuses in a crumpled sheet of paper, where I developed an analytical approach to describe the local geometry around the vertices seen in a crumpled thin sheet.

I have found these projects, and the field of soft matter in general, very interesting, as the underlying physics in a way is not very new or complicated, but the phenomena that arise end up being incredibly complex. I also like, especially with my own work, how many of the ideas can be easily visualized, and I can often describe relevant concepts just by drawing pictures.

I'm not currently working on any specific projects, as I've been focusing on my teaching, but I'm interested in pursuing new directions with students on either of the projects I worked on during my PhD. I'm currently teaching PHYS 106, where I try to bring my approach of describing concepts with pictures into the classroom. I'll be teaching PHYS 106 again in the Spring, as well as PHYS 120.

For any students who are new to research, I would simply say reach out to faculty whose research catches your eye, and try something you think is interesting, even if you have no idea what it might be like. You have plenty of time to figure out what your interests are, and the best way to figure that out is to try new things!

For anyone who wants to read a little more about my research, I have a more detailed description on my faculty page: https://www.wellesley.edu/physics/people/faculty/mowitz