Fluids and Soft Matter Physics

The Department of Physics and Astronomy at Manchester is one of the largest and most active physics departments in the UK. We have a long tradition of excellence in both teaching and research, and have interests in most areas of contemporary research.

The Department has a strong presence in a number of Manchester-based centres for multidisciplinary research: The National Graphene Institute, the Photon Science Institute, the Manchester Centre for Non-Linear Dynamics, and the Dalton Nuclear Institute. In addition, the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire is a part of the department.

The Fluids and Soft Matter group studies the behaviour and instabilities of complex material systems, from bubble flows to soft tissues, encompassing both curiosity-driven and industrially-relevant phenomena. Current themes include interfacial instabilities in analogues of rigid and compliant porous media, soft microfluidics, wetting and drying, yielding and flow in complex materials, inertialess sedimentation, buckling in metamaterials and biomimetic studies of respiratory flows and blood rheology.

The group houses the laboratories of the Manchester Centre for Nonlinear Dynamics (MCND). Founded in 2000 by the Departments of Physics and Mathematics to ally quantitative experimental investigations, with cutting edge approaches in mathematical and numerical modelling of complex systems. MCND builds on Manchester's outstanding pedigree in fundamental fluid mechanics to provide a modern, multidisciplinary training environment of high international profile, which is unique in the UK.

The postgraduate research environment is well funded and world-class as demonstrated by our ranking in REF2021. Supervision is provided by academic staff, who are leaders in their fields, with independent pastoral back-up. Transferable skills training is available and there are some school teaching opportunities.

For more information about research themes within the department please visit our themes page or view available projects within the department on our Postgraduate Research projects page .