Jaeyun Moon
Seminar Information
Microscopic understanding of various thermal properties in liquids is crucial for advancing numerous energy applications, from nuclear reactors to batteries. However, inherent dynamic atomic disorder and absence of structural periodicity in liquids pose significant challenges for developing rigorous microscopic theories of their thermal behavior. Consequently, many prior works have relied on more established solid phase perspectives, of questionable relevance to liquids. In this talk, I introduce a novel, unified framework that concurrently addresses the three classical phases of matter—solid, liquid, and gas. Our results show that atomic dynamics in liquids can be described by a combination of both solid-like and gas-like degrees of freedom. This dual perspective enables a comprehensive description of key thermal properties, including heat capacity, thermal conductivity, and viscosity across phases. These insights offer a promising pathway towards understanding complex atomic motion that defines various materials properties.
Dr. Jaeyun Moon is an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Florida. He also holds an affiliate appointment in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering. He completed postdoctoral research at Cornell University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Dr. Moon earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology. During his doctoral studies, he was awarded the Samsung Fellowship, the Resnick Graduate Fellowship, and the Acosta Fellowship. He is also a recipient of the International Union of Crystallography Young Scientist Award for his research on the thermal properties of glasses. Outside of work, Dr. Moon enjoys cycling, swimming, and hiking.