RUI: State Selection and Pattern Formation in Non-Equilibrium Systems

Oakland University, Rochester MI

Investigators

Abstract

0076054 Elder This is a RUI grant to support theoretical research on systems far from equilibrium. The selection of states in non-equilibrium systems is poorly understood despite the vast array of such phenomena occurring in everyday life and technologically important processes. Examples include everything from coffee stains on a napkin and frost on a window pane to vortex flow patterns in superconductors and cellular interfaces in directional ordering, solidification and viscous fingering experiments. While it is unlikely that a single variational method can be developed to encompass all such phenomena (as the Boltzmann principle does in equlibrium) it may be possible to develop methods for specific classes of phenomena or behavior. The goals of this research are to characterize state selection in a number of important physical systems and to develop a variational principle for a relatively simple class of non-equilibrium systems. %%% This is a RUI grant to support theoretical research on systems far from equilibrium. The selection of states in non-equilibrium systems is poorly understood despite the vast array of such phenomena occurring in everyday life and technologically important processes. Examples include everything from coffee stains on a napkin and frost on a window pane to vortex flow patterns in superconductors and cellular interfaces in directional ordering, solidification and viscous fingering experiments. While it is unlikely that a single variational method can be developed to encompass all such phenomena (as the Boltzmann principle does in equlibrium) it may be possible to develop methods for specific classes of phenomena or behavior. The goals of this research are to characterize state selection in a number of important physical systems and to develop a variational principle for a relatively simple class of non-equilibrium systems. ***