Non-equilibrium fluctuations and microgravity experiments

Non-equilibrium processes are ubiquitous in soft matter physics. Systems out of equilibrium exhibit rich and often counterintuitive structural and dynamical properties that challenge our fundamental understanding. At the SoMeX Lab, we explore a wide range of non-equilibrium phenomena, including diffusion, thermodiffusion, sedimentation, and instabilities that arise in multi-component systems. These studies aim to rationalize the universal principles governing systems far from equilibrium, where the interplay of macroscopic gradients, mesoscopic fluctuations, and microscopic transport gives rise to emergent behaviors. One of the distinctive approaches of our lab involves conducting experiments under microgravity conditions, such as those enabled by space missions, to study non-equilibrium processes without the hassle of gravity. The next two experiments that will fly onboard the International Space Station are Giant fluctuations (2026) and Sedimenting Colloids (2027).

- Alberto Vailati, et al. (2023). Diffusion in liquid mixtures. npj Microgravity 9, 1.
- Alberto Vailati, et al. (2020). Giant Fluctuations Induced by Thermal Diffusion in Complex Liquids. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 32, 873-887.