Active crowds and the surface mechanics of soft solids - Nicolas Bain (ENS Lyon)

In this talk, I will present two distinct projects. The first belongs to the field of active matter, and consists in the analysis of massive human crowds from a physicist point of view. I will show that the linear dynamics of polarized crowds are captured by conservation equations and symmetry principles, and introduce a system of safe and dense crowds. The second is about the surface tension of soft solids. I will present two experimental systems designed to measure the surface tension of swollen polymeric networks under stretch, and share how my most recent advances on the topic can inform us on their inner molecular structure.