Engineering Research Equipment: An Advanced Visualization Environment for the Study of Interfacial and Bioengineering Processes

热力学、生物物理学和材料处理领域的研究项目广泛使用交互式计算机图形学，通过物理过程的可视化来帮助分析计算机模拟数据。大多数项目使用物理系统的原子级描述与适当的基于统计力学的模拟技术（分子动力学或蒙特卡罗）相结合，以生成包含系统中所有原子或分子位置的文件。然后使用交互式计算机图形分析这些数据文件。计算机图形分析的影响对诸如液晶聚合物的设计、如提案中所述，蛋白质抗变性的稳定性和新材料的设计，如快速凝固的金属合金。在许多应用中，特别是界面现象，制作过程录像带的能力是无价的。界面现象可能包括孔隙中的毛细凝结、膜融合或半导体材料的分子束外延。但所有人都受益于可视化，因为它提供了物质在不同条件下的近似实时运动。连接到适当的视频成像系统的高性能图形工作站被用来实现这种可视化。

Research programs in the areas of thermodynamics, biophysics and materials processing make extensive use of interactive computer graphics to help analyze computer simulation data by a visualization of the physical processes at work. Most of the projects use an atomic-level description of the physical system coupled to an appropriate statistical mechanics-based simulation technique (Molecular Dynamics or Monte Carlo) to produce files containing the positions of all the atoms or molecules in the system. These data files are then analyzed using interactive computer graphics. The impact of a computer graphics analysis strongly influences projects such as the design of liquid crystalline polymers, the stability of proteins against denaturation and the design of new materials such as rapidly solidified metal alloys, as described in the proposal. In a number of applications, particularly interfacial phenomena, the ability to make a videotape of the process is invaluable. Interfacial phenomena may involve capillary condensation in pores, membrane fusion or Molecular beam Epitaxy of semiconductor materials, but all profit by the visualization offered by an approximation of real-time motion of the substances under different conditions. High- performance graphics workstations linked to an appropriate video imaging system are used to bring about this visualization.