School Notes: School of Engineering & Applied Science
May/June 2019

The structure of liquid

Researchers have found that liquid has structure in certain circumstances, and that this structure significantly influences the mysterious formation of metallic glasses. A relatively new class of materials that are moldable like plastic but strong like metal, metallic glasses have many potential applications. But fully capitalizing on these materials has proved tricky, since much is still unknown about how they form. Led by Judy Cha, the Carol and Douglas Melamed Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, the researchers found that metallic glasses in the liquid state will periodically form crystalline structures—their freely moving atoms arrange themselves into certain patterns. Their results were published in Nature Communications and could lead to greater use of these mysterious materials.

Designing secure computer hardware

Recent years have seen an increased interest in exploring and designing hardware features inside computer processors that protect confidentiality. Meeting that demand is Principles of Secure Processor Architecture Design, a new book by Jakub Szefer, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science. The book presents the different challenges of a relatively new field and educates readers on the principles for the design of new secure processor architectures. It also discusses potential new research directions, numerous design suggestions, and common pitfalls that designers should avoid.

The messy but fascinating science of art

Art and engineering met at the Center for Engineering Innovation and Design (CEID) for a workshop on the physics of Jackson Pollock and Helen Frankenthaler. Paintings conservator Cindy Schwarz and research scientist Kate Schilling discussed how technology led to the two painters’ particular brand of abstract expression. Students learned not only about the artists and the relevant history, but about how the rheology of paint and processes like surface tension, capillary action, and diffusion work together to create the visual styles. Those in attendance then applied these techniques to their own paintings.