Thorsten Emig
Research Professor of Physics
Lab PMMH • ESPCI Paris
My research
I am a theoretical physicist with broad interests in statistical (quantum) mechanics and complex systems. My research has covered a variety of fields, combining analytical and computational approaches to understand how fluctuations, interactions, geometry, and confinement influence the behavior of systems across different length and time scales.
My work ranges from quantum and thermal fluctuation-induced interactions at the nanoscale to nonlinear and nonlocal flows in granular materials, and from urban climate physics to the quantitative modeling of human sport performance and physiological dynamics. A recurring motivation is to identify general physical principles connecting seemingly different systems and to develop new theoretical approaches and models, in close connection with experiments and real-world observations.
A popular or at least more general account of some of my research can be found in the following articles:
G. Adam, T. Emig, Scaling approach to the physiology of distance running
British Milers Club News Vol.15 Issue 2 (2018).
A description of our work on urban climate for the general public, by Fui Lee Luk: C’est chaud une ville la nuit (French) / Why Some Cities Are Hotter than Others (English)
CNRS Le journal 16.03.2018 / CNRS News 03.09.2018
G. Bimonte, T. Emig, M. Kardar, M. Krüger, Non-equilibrium Fluctuational Quantum Electrodynamics: Heat Radiation, Heat Transfer, and Force
Annual Review of Condensed Matter Physics, Vol.8: 119-143 (March 2017)
Latest News
- Master 2 internship – At what scale do grains flow?
Dense granular flows are involved in a variety of situations, from natural avalanches to industrial processes. We are interested in the fundamental question of the scales at which these flows develop, from the grain to the system size. However, granular matter does not flow like ordinary fluids: their rheology is frictional and depend on the… - Master 2 internship – Urban Air Pollution and Exercise: A Physics Approach
Outdoor Exercise and Air Quality under Real World Conditions: What can we learn from Wearable Sensors on Runners in Paris? It is easy to measure the number of heart beats per minute. Clearly, this number increases during physical activity with exercise intensity. But how regular is your heart beat during exercise? We have studied the…