Studies in Statistical Mechanics

技术综述：该奖项支持统计力学各个子领域的理论研究和教育。这项工作得到了材料研究部和数学科学部的联合支持。这项工作的中心主题是更好地理解宏观系统的属性，这些属性源于其微观组成部分的集体行为。使用的方法范围从精确的数学分析到计算机模拟。这些方法弥合了严谨的结果和应用之间的差距。PI和合作者使用的研究主题多种多样。使用介观自由能泛函可以研究周期状态、混合物中的润湿以及过饱和蒸汽中液滴的形成。对非平衡定常态和部分电流的波动和大偏差的持续努力仍在继续。这包括水动力定标不充分的情况。基础研究继续取得重大进展，如建立了具有非简谐相互作用的开放系统的傅里叶-S热传导定律。在量子统计物理中，对大型量子系统的子系统的研究有助于理解这些系统何时具有由正则Gibbs度量给出的密度矩阵。在某些情况下，例如研究时间周期场中模型量子系统的电离，可以应用于原子和分子中的激光诱导跃迁。除了物理学之外，研究人员还将统计机械方法应用于流行病的数学研究，同时考虑到相关性以及对网络的饱和效应。将这些技术扩展到种群动力学和生态学模型，包括通过比例限制推导反应-扩散方程，这些都是有计划的研究。研究活动是高度跨学科的，聚集了物理学家、数学家、化学家以及生物和社会科学理论领域的工作人员。预期的应用领域包括材料科学、复杂流体和生物系统。该项目还包括每年组织两次会议，在会议上讨论统计力学的核心主题和新发展。研究生、博士后和少数民族科学家参与其中，就他们的工作发表演讲，并与该领域的知名研究人员互动。这些会议也是专业网络交流的机会，并可能带来新的合作。非技术概述：该奖项支持统计力学各个子领域的理论研究和教育。这项工作得到了材料研究部和数学科学部的联合支持。这项工作的中心主题是更好地理解物质系统的性质，这些性质源于它们的基本原子成分的集体行为。使用的方法范围从精确的数学分析到计算机模拟。这些方法弥合了严谨的结果和应用之间的差距。研究主题从经典物理到量子物理，从高度正式的应用到与技术相关的应用，甚至疾病传播的动力学。研究活动是高度跨学科的，聚集了物理学家、数学家、化学家以及生物和社会科学理论领域的工作人员。预期的应用领域包括材料科学、复杂流体和生物系统。该项目还包括每年组织两次会议，在会议上讨论统计力学的核心主题和新发展。研究生、博士后和少数民族科学家参与其中，就他们的工作发表演讲，并与该领域的知名研究人员互动。这些会议也是专业网络交流的机会，并可能带来新的合作。

TECHNICAL SUMMARY:This award supports theoretical research and education in a variety of subfields of statistical mechanics. This work is jointly supported by the Division of Materials Research and the Division of Mathematical Sciences. The central theme of the effort is a better understanding of the properties of macroscopic systems originating in the collective behavior of their microscopic constituents. The methods used range from exact mathematical analysis to computer simulations. These approaches bridge the gap between rigorous results and applications.Research topics employed by PI and collaborators are varied. Using mesoscopic free energy functionals allows investigation of periodic states, wetting in mixtures and droplet formation in supersaturated vapor. An ongoing effort continues on fluctuations and large deviations in nonequilibrium stationary states and partial currents. This includes cases where the hydrodynamic scaling is inadequate. Significant advance continue in fundamental studies such as establishing Fourier?s law of heat conduction in open systems with anharmonic interactions. In quantum statistical physics, the study of subsystems of large quantum systems leads to understanding of when these systems have density matrices given by canonical Gibbs measures. In some cases, such as the study of ionization of model quantum systems in time periodic fields, there are applications to laser induced transitions in atoms and molecules. Beyond physics, researchers also apply statistical mechanical methods to the mathematical study of epidemics taking into account correlations as well as saturation effects on networks. Extension of these techniques to models of population dynamics and ecology involves derivation of reaction-diffusion equations via scaling limits and these are planned investigations.The research activities are highly interdisciplinary, bringing together physicists, mathematicians, chemists and those working in theoretical areas of the biological and social sciences. The expected applications are in material science, complex fluids and in biological systems. The project also includes the organization of two conferences every year in which both core subjects and new developments in statistical mechanics are discussed in a collegial atmosphere. Graduate students, postdocs and minority scientists are involved and present talks on their work and interact with established researchers in the field. The conferences also serve as an opportunity for professional networking and can lead to new collaborations. NONTECHNICAL SUMMARY:This award supports theoretical research and education in a variety of subfields of statistical mechanics. This work is jointly supported by the Division of Materials Research and the Division of Mathematical Sciences. The central theme of the effort is a better understanding of the properties of material systems originating in the collective behavior of their elementary atomic constituents. The methods used range from exact mathematical analysis to computer simulations. These approaches bridge the gap between rigorous results and applications. Topics range from classical physics to quantum physics and highly formal to applications of technological relevance and even dynamics of disease propagation.The research activities are highly interdisciplinary, bringing together physicists, mathematicians, chemists and those working in theoretical areas of the biological and social sciences. The expected applications are in material science, complex fluids and in biological systems. The project also includes the organization of two conferences every year in which both core subjects and new developments in statistical mechanics are discussed in a collegial atmosphere. Graduate students, postdocs and minority scientists are involved and present talks on their work and interact with established researchers in the field. The conferences also serve as an opportunity for professional networking and can lead to new collaborations.