Ebook: New Approaches to Problems in Liquid State Theory: Inhomogeneities and Phase Separation in Simple, Complex and Quantum Fluids

The theory of simple and complex fluids has made considerable recent progress, due to the emergence of new concepts and theoretical tools, and also to the availability of a large body of new experimental data on increas­ ingly complex systems, as well as far-reaching methodological developments in numerical simulations. This AS! aimed at providing a comprehensive overview of the most significant theoretical developments, supplemented by a few presentations of cutting-edge simulation and experimental work. The impact of the Institute in the overall landscape of Statistical Mechanics received an important recognition with its inclusion in the list of satellite events of STATPHYS20, the triennal international conference on Statistical Physics held in Paris in July 1998. These Proceedings contain the texts of the 13 Lecture Courses and 9 Invited Seminars delivered at Patti. Two clear trends emerge from these Proceedings: first, the diversity of new and unexpected theoretical results relating to classic models of liq­ uids, which have recently been subjected to fresh scrutiny; and secondly the parallel emergence of new concepts, models and methods, aimed at investigating complex fluids and phenomena, like the phase behaviour of fluids in pores, macromolecular assemblies, and the glass transition. Many of the new tools have their roots in traditional liquid state theory, and, in conjunction with fresh input from related fields, allow it wider applicability.

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The theory of simple and complex fluids has made considerable recent progress due to the emergence of new concepts and theoretical tools, the availability of a large body of new experimental data on increasingly complex systems, and far-reaching developments in numerical simulation. Two clear trends emerge from the present book: first, the diversity of new and unexpected theoretical results relating to classical models of liquids; and secondly, the parallel emergence of new concepts, models and methods for the investigation of complex fluids and phenomena. The book lays stress on a tutorial presentation of the main topics, including liquid structure, metastability and phase transitions, confined fluids and interfaces, complex fluids and quantum fluids.
Audience: Physicists, physical chemists, materials scientists and engineers who require an up-to-date account of recent progress in a rapidly growing, interdisciplinary area. Graduate students who need and introduction to the novel concepts and methods in the field.

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The theory of simple and complex fluids has made considerable recent progress due to the emergence of new concepts and theoretical tools, the availability of a large body of new experimental data on increasingly complex systems, and far-reaching developments in numerical simulation. Two clear trends emerge from the present book: first, the diversity of new and unexpected theoretical results relating to classical models of liquids; and secondly, the parallel emergence of new concepts, models and methods for the investigation of complex fluids and phenomena. The book lays stress on a tutorial presentation of the main topics, including liquid structure, metastability and phase transitions, confined fluids and interfaces, complex fluids and quantum fluids.
Audience: Physicists, physical chemists, materials scientists and engineers who require an up-to-date account of recent progress in a rapidly growing, interdisciplinary area. Graduate students who need and introduction to the novel concepts and methods in the field.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xix
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Equation of State and Critical Behavior of Simple Fluid Models....Pages 3-8
Phase Separation and Critical Phenomena in Simple Fluids and in Binary Mixtures....Pages 9-29
Critical Behaviour of the Restricted Primitive Model (RPM)....Pages 31-46
Phase Diagram of Dipolar Hard-Core Molecule Systems....Pages 47-59
New Results on Some Ionic-Fluid Problems....Pages 61-70
Fluids with Internal Degrees of Freedom....Pages 71-89
Replica and Glasses....Pages 91-105
Nematic to Smectic: A “Hard” Transition....Pages 107-138
Front Matter....Pages 139-150
Fluids in Model Pores or Cavities: The Influence of Confinement on Structure and Phase Behaviour....Pages 151-151
Bulk and Surface Properties of Dipolar Fluids....Pages 153-172
Fluids in Contact with Structured Substrates....Pages 173-196
Liquid State Methods for Disordered Systems....Pages 197-244
Inhomogeneous Fluids in an External Field....Pages 245-278
Free Energy Density Functional from 0D Cavities....Pages 279-291
Geometrically Based Free Energy Functional for Confined Hard Spheres and the Density Functional Theory for Simple Classical Systems....Pages 293-302
Charge-Stabilized Colloids Confined to a Slit: A Case for Attraction Between Like Charged Particles....Pages 303-320
Wetting Phase Transitions and Petroleum Reservoirs....Pages 321-336
Front Matter....Pages 337-344
Atomistic Computer Simulation Studies of Surfactant Systems....Pages 345-345
On Effective Interactions in Colloidal Physics....Pages 347-358
Front Matter....Pages 359-378
Theory and Simulations of Polymers at Surfaces....Pages 345-345
Static Structure and Chain Conformations in Polyelectrolyte Solutions....Pages 379-392
Theories of Hydrophobic Effects and the Description of Free Volume in Complex Liquids....Pages 393-405
Theoretical and Simulation Study of Model Protein Solutions....Pages 407-420
Front Matter....Pages 421-436
AB Initio Liquids: Simulating Liquids Based on First Principles....Pages 437-437
Progress in the Theory of Inhomogeneous 4He....Pages 439-457
Tight-Binding Lattice-Gas Model: Alkali Fluids....Pages 459-479
Current-Density Functional Theory of Time-Dependent Linear Response in Quantal Fluids: Recent Progress....Pages 481-490
Back Matter....Pages 491-502
....Pages 503-521