NSF-CGP Science Fellowship Program: Theoretical and Numerical Investigations of Relaxation in Metastable Systems

该奖项支持佛罗里达州立大学材料研究与技术中心和超级计算机计算研究所物理系Per Arne Rikvold教授与京都大学综合人类研究学院基础科学系Hiroyuki Tomita教授的合作。项目资金将使里克沃尔德博士能够在京都大学度过3.5个月的时间，研究物质亚稳态及其衰变的非平衡统计力学方面。亚稳相在自然界中普遍存在，包括人们熟悉的碳的钻石相、过冷水和永磁体。Rikvold博士和Tomita博士之前都曾使用解析和数值方法研究过这种常见但尚未被理解的物质状态。通过将从事亚稳态非平衡统计力学研究的美国和日本的研究人员聚集在一起，拟议的研究访问将加强两国在这一领域的研究。这位美国科学家将有机会熟悉京都大学和其他日本机构所做的工作，同时向日本研究人员通报美国研究的最新结果。因此，这项建议实现了该计划通过国际合作交流和转让科学知识的目标。

This award supports the collaboration of Professor Per Arne Rikvold of the Physics Department, Center for Materials Research and Technology, and Supercomputer Computations Institute at Florida State University with Professor Hiroyuki Tomita of the Department of Fundamental Sciences in the Faculty of Integrated Human Studies at Kyoto University. Project funding will enable Dr. Rikvold to spend 3.5 months at Kyoto University to study nonequilibrium statistical-mechanics aspects of metastable phases of matter and their decay. Metastable phases are ubiquitous in nature and include such familiar examples as the diamond phase of carbon, supercooled water, and permanent magnets. Drs. Rikvold and Tomita have both previously studied this common but as-yet ill-understood state of matter, using analytical and numerical methods. By bringing together researchers from the U.S. and Japan working on the nonequilibrium statistical mechanics of metastability, the proposed research visit will enhance the research in this area in both countries. The U.S. scientist will have the opportunity to become familiar with the work performed at Kyoto University and other Japanese institutions, while informing Japanese researchers of recent results of U.S. research. Therefore, this proposal fulfills the objectives of the Program in its exchange and transfer of scientific knowledge through international collaboration.