Jan V. Sengers

Jan V. Sengers is a Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at the Institute for Physical Science and Technology (IPST) at the University of Maryland. His research focuses on fluctuation phenomena in soft condensed matter, particularly in fluid mixtures and polymer solutions near critical points. He has contributed significantly to understanding non-equilibrium thermodynamics, hydrodynamic fluctuations, and transport properties in complex fluids.

His work spans critical phenomena in binary liquids, polymer coil transformations in mixed solvents, and the interplay between thermal and concentration fluctuations in non-equilibrium systems. Key contributions include studies on thermodiffusion, Casimir pressures in liquid layers under shear, and the development of fluctuating hydrodynamics frameworks for predicting transport coefficients near critical points.

Dr. Sengers has also been involved in international collaborations to formulate thermophysical properties of fluids, including heavy water and supercooled water. His research emphasizes bridging theoretical models with experimental observations, particularly in contexts involving phase transitions and mesoscopic inhomogeneities.

Notable areas of investigation include the critical locus of aqueous salt solutions, the role of hydrodynamic fluctuations in laminar flows, and the thermodynamic behavior of ionic liquids. His publications often explore the crossover between equilibrium and non-equilibrium systems, with applications to both fundamental science and engineering problems.