Robert D. Deegan
Associate Professor of Physics
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Contact information 


I am interested in the non-equilibrium properties of soft matter. I use experiments, simulations, and the ideas of nonlinear dynamics to study the emergent properties of gels, suspensions, fluids, chemical reactions, and other systems.


Publications

Projects:

self-oscillating gel Self-oscillating gels: We study the behavior of gels that change shape in response to chemical waves occurring entirely within the gel.
Moving drops schematics Moving drops with light: We show a new technique for moving drops with a laser beam that uses the non-equilibrium configurations of the charge distribution. This technique obviates the need for complicated photolithography and multiplexing need in other techniques such as electrowetting-on-dielectrics (EWOD).
Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction Coupled chemical reactions: We study the interaction of spiral waves in the Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction using a video feedback method. We find the emergence of new behaviors such as bound pairs with quantized orbits.
Drop impact Drop impact: We study the dynamics of splashing using high speed X-ray imaging and numerical simulations. We find transitions in the number of jets that explain why splashes for different parameters exhibit different size distributions.
Particulate solutions Faraday waves in Non-Newtonian fluids: We studied the appearance of soliton-like structures in non-Newtonian fluids subjected to vibration.
Seed dispersal Seed dispersal
Climbing drops Vibrated sessile drops
Ring deposit Contact line deposits