U.S.-Italy Cooperative Research: Continuum Theories of Bodies with Microstructure and Liquid Crystals

该奖项将支持约翰霍普金斯大学的Clifford Truesdell教授和意大利比萨大学的Gianfranco Capriz教授之间的合作研究。研究人员建议使用连续介质热力学的技术和方法来理解和发展发生在液晶和混合物等复杂系统中的现象的理论。这种介质的放置位置不仅取决于位移和温度，而且还取决于局部参数。这些可能是几何的或运动学的；例如，多孔介质中的空隙分数、液晶的光轴、液氦中的超流速度。调查人员还打算研究这些理论的基础。研究人员在有理力学方面有着丰富而深入的合作的悠久历史，美国派是美国连续介质力学学派的创始人之一。他的贡献对物理现象的数学模型的发展产生了重大影响。这两位研究人员都异乎寻常地成功地吸引了年轻员工关注重大问题，并促进了美国和意大利研究人员之间更好的联系。这一奖项将有助于继续这些活动，从而促进美国-意大利计划的目标。

This award will support collaborative research between Prof. Clifford Truesdell of The Johns Hopkins University and Prof. Gianfranco Capriz of the University of Pisa, Italy. The researchers propose to use techniques and methods of continuum thermodynamics to understand and develop theories of phenomena occurring in complex systems such as liquid crystals and mixtures. The placements of such a medium are determined by not only the displacement and the temperature, but also local parameters. These may be geometrical or kinematical; for example, void fractions in porous media, the optical axis of a liquid crystal, the superfluid velocity in liquid helium. The investigators also intend to look at the foundations of such theories. The researchers have had a long history of productive and deep collaboration in rational mechanics, the U.S. PI being one of the founders of the U.S. school of continuum mechanics. His contributions have had a significant impact in the development of mathematical models of physical phenomena. Both investigators have been unusually successful in attracting young workers to significant problems and promoting better contacts between researchers in the U.S. and Italy. This award will help to continue these activities and thus furthers the objectives of the U.S.-Italy Program.