University of Toronto
Physics Department
Condensed Matter and Quantum Optics
MONDAY SEMINAR

Abstract
 

The behavior of classical physical systems is typically described in terms of equations of motion for discrete microscopic objects (e.g. atoms). In many cases, the behavior of such systems is smooth when observed on macroscopic length and time scales. It is useful to describe these systems in terms of continuum models. Such models are more amenable to analytical treatments and have enormous computational advantages over their discrete counterparts. Many physical systems exhibit a macroscopically smooth behavior everywhere, except in small regions of space where their behavior is singular. Examples are dislocations in a crystal, cracks in crystalline material and facet edges on crystalline surfaces. These singular regions are of interest because they frequently drive the dynamics of the whole system. Standard phenomenological continuum models completely fail in the singular regions. I will present a conceptually new approach to continuum modeling of discrete systems, termed Configurational Continuum, which is valid even in singular regions. The validity of the approach will be demonstrated on models of morphological evolution of crystalline surfaces.
 
 

Local Host: Rashmi Desai  (416-978-5191) 

See   http://www.physics.utoronto.ca/~qocmp