2006-2007 Colloquium Series

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NAU Physical Sciences (Bldg 19, Rm 321), Monday, 16 April 2007, 4:00 PM
(Refreshments at 3:45pm)

Stretched Exponential Relaxation and NanoThermodynamics

Ralph V. Chamberlin
Arizona State University
Dept. of Physics

Abstract

Classical thermodynamics does not fully account for nonlinear or inhomogeneous thermal quantities. In 1962, Terrell Hill developed the thermodynamics of small systems to treat finite-size effects, including surface terms and thermal fluctuations, which are important for independent small systems such as isolated nanoparticles or individual biomolecules. I will present evidence that this “nanothermodynamics” can also be used to understand the heterogeneous response that is found in bulk materials.

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Local Host: Dave Cornelison, (928) 523-7641.