Research Interests

The main focus of our research are the understanding of self-organization of matter at various scales, from the collective interactions of microscopic particles to geometrically constrained elastic slender objects. These studies, combining simulations, experiments and theoretical models, rely on concepts from out of equilibrium statistical physics, Soft Matter Physics and continuum mechanics.
For example, we try to understand how granular matter flows, the collective self-organization of active particles, the formation of wrinkles or elastic singularities in twisted ribbons, compressed thin sheets.
We also apply our knowledge in elasticity and fluid flow to understand the structure and function of biological organisms.

Research Highlights

Microscopic foundation of the mu(I) rheology for dense granular flows on inclined planes

Denis Dumont, Haggai Bonneau, Thomas Salez, Elie Raphaël, and Pascal Damman
Phys. Rev. Research 5, 013089 (2023)

Essential role of papillae flexibility in nectar capture by bees

Amandine Lechantre, Ayrton Draux, Hoa-Ai Beatrice Huad, Denis Michez, Pascal Damman and Fabian Brau
PNAS 118, e2025513118 (2021)

Microscopic Picture of Erosion and Sedimentation Processes in Dense Granular Flows

Denis Dumont, Pierre Soulard, Thomas Salez, Elie Raphaël and Pascal Damman
Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 208002 (2020)

Emergent Strain-Stiffening in Interlocked Granular Chains

Denis Dumont, Maurine Houze, Paul Rambach, Thomas Salez, Sylvain Patinet, and Pascal Damman
Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 088001 (2018).

From Cylindrical to Stretching Ridges and Wrinkles in Twisted Ribbons

H. Pham Dinh, V. Demery, B. Davidovitch, F. Brau , and P. Damman
Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 104301 (2016)

Dynamics of prey prehension by chameleons through viscous adhesion

F. Brau, D. Lanterbecq, L.-N. Zghikh, V. Bels and P. Damman
Nature Physics volume 12, pages931–935(2016)

How Geometry Controls the Tearing of Adhesive Thin Films on Curved Surfaces.

Olga Kruglova, Fabian Brau, Didier Villers, and Pascal Damman
Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 164303 (2011).

Wrinkling Hierarchy in Constrained Thin Sheets from Suspended Graphene to Curtains.

H. Vandeparre, M. Pineirua, F. Brau, B. Roman, J. Bico, C. Gay, W. Bao, C. N. Lau, P. M. Reis, and P. Damman
Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 224301 (2011).

Multiple-length-scale elastic instability mimics parametric resonance of nonlinear oscillators.

F. Brau, H. Vandeparre, A. Sabbah, C. Poulard, A. Boudaoud and Pascal Damman
Nature Physics, 7, 56 (2011).

Relaxation of Residual Stress and Reentanglement of Polymers in Spin-Coated Films

Pascal Damman, Sylvain Gabriele, Séverine Coppée, Sylvain Desprez, Didier Villers, Thomas Vilmin, Elie Raphaël, Moustafa Hamieh, Samer Al Akhrass, and Günter Reiter
Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 036101 (2007).

From a two-dimensional chemical pattern to a three-dimensional topology through selective inversion of a liquid–liquid bilayer

Julien Léopoldès and Pascal Damman
Nature Materials volume 5, 957–961(2006).

Residual stresses in thin polymer films cause rupture and dominate early stages of dewetting

Günter Reiter, Moustafa Hamieh, Pascal Damman,Séverine Sclavons, Sylvain Gabriele, TH. Vilmin and Elie Raphaël
Nature Materials 4, 754–758 (2005).

Dewetting near the Glass Transition: Transition from a Capillary Force Dominated to a Dissipation Dominated Regime

Pascal Damman, Nancy Baudelet and Günter Reiter
Phys. Rev. Lett. 21, 216101 (2003).