Piotr Szymczak

Institute of Theoretical Physics
Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw
Hoza 69, 00-681 Warsaw, Poland
telephone: (+48 22) 55 32 256
fax: (+48 22) 621 94 75
email: piotrek[at]fuw.edu.pl

My research focuses on complex systems involving many degrees of freedom in which collective interactions give rise to a rich zoology of physical phenomena. Besides the theoretical analysis, an important tool in tackling these problems are numerical simulations.

Current research topics include:

nonequilibrium growth processes, in particular dissolution in porous media and rock fractures

mechanical properties of protein molecules

dynamics of colloidal suspensions

Recent publications

P. Szymczak, A. J. C. Ladd, Instabilities in the dissolution of a porous matrix, Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, L07403, 2011 [pdf]

P. Szymczak, A. J. C. Ladd, The initial stages of cave formation: Beyond the one-dimensional paradigm, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 301, 424-432, 2011 [pdf] [movie] (Press Coverage)

P. Szymczak, M. Cieplak, Hydrodynamic effects in proteins (invited review), J. Phys. Cond. Matt., 23, 033102, 2011 [pdf]

J. Piasecki, P. Szymczak, J. Kozak, Prediction of a structural transition in the hard disk fluid, J. Chem. Phys., 133, 164507, 2010 [pdf]

J. Sułkowska, P. Sułkowski, P. Szymczak, M. Cieplak, Untying knots in proteins, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 132, 13954-13956, 2010 [pdf] (Press Coverage)

P. Szymczak, H. Janovjak, Periodic forces trigger a complex mechanical response in ubiquitin, J. Mol. Biol., 390, 443, 2009 [pdf] [frontcover]

P. Szymczak, A. J. C. Ladd, Wormhole formation in dissolving fractures, J. Geophys. Res., 114, B06203, 2009 [pdf]

J. Sułkowska, P. Sułkowski, P. Szymczak, M. Cieplak, Stabilizing effect of knots on proteins, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 105, 19714, 2008 [pdf] (Press Coverage)