Phase Transitions Models (17w5110)

The Banff International Research Station will host the "Phase Transitions Models" workshop from April 30th to May 5th, 2017.

Phase transition models are frequently used in various applications in material science such as superfluidity, superconductivity, liquid crystals, micromagnetism etc. One of the most popular models was introduced in the 50s by the Russian Nobel prize winners Ginzburg and Landau and is used in the theoretical study of superconductors (metals that lose their electrical resistivity at very low temperatures). Models presenting similar features are used to describe liquid crystals, micromagnetism, superfluids, and many other physical phenomena.

All the above models and the corresponding equations, while different in many aspects, share many common themes. In particular, materials present various types of defects (points, lines, surfaces, or combinations of them) and deep analysis techniques are required in order to detect them and to describe their position or dynamics. The meeting convenes a group of scholars who study these models so they could learn from each other new methods and come up with new ideas for tackling emerging directions of research. It could assist them in gaining new insights into the physics described by the models they study, and to be able to explain experimental observations.

The Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery (BIRS) is a collaborative Canada-US-Mexico venture that provides
an environment for creative interaction as well as the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and methods within the Mathematical Sciences, with related disc
iplines and with industry. The research station is located at The Banff Centre in Alberta and is supported by Canada's Natural Science and Engineeri
ng Research Council (NSERC), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Alberta's Advanced Education and Technology, and Mexico's Consejo Nacional
de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT).