Jürgen Parisi - Böcker

This book explores the fascinating and ubiquitous occurrence of spatial patterns and forms, generated in nature by the interplay of chemical and biological reactions with transport processes, as there are diffusion, convection, chemotaxis, or others.  Their role in our perception and in scientific investigations is immanent in the concepts of natural laws. They have the capacity to explain phenomena like self-organization in systems far away from thermodynamic equilibrium or to formulate the influence of nonlinear interactions on complexity. Just take the omnipresent waves, as they propagate in liquids with or without reactivity, act inside biological cells or become apparent in a biomedical context, as in the heart during arrhythmias or in the visual cortex, when a migraine aura is noticed. Such phenomena are prominent topics of intensive, future-oriented, and hopefully beneficial research.Our colleagues and friends contribute to this book in presentations on the origins, mechanisms, and dynamics relevant for their special research endeavors, from earlier to actual, more complex topics. These comprise numerous scientific fields in theory, mathematics, physics and chemistry laboratories, field studies on morphogenesis and the course of biological evolution, or analysis of specific medical data, including epidemiological studies.On the whole, the book provides a valuable source of information, while also taking the reader on an aesthetic journey through an attractive world full of color and “visual adventures.”

This book presents the general concepts of self-organized spatio-temporal ordering processes. These concepts are demonstrated via prototypical examples of recent advances in materials science. Particular emphasis is on nano scale soft matter in physics, chemistry, biology and biomedicine. The questions addressed embrace a broad spectrum of complex nonlinear phenomena, ranging from self-assembling near the thermodynamical equilibrium to dissipative structure formation far from equilibrium. Their mutual interplay gives rise to increasing degrees of hierarchical order. Analogues are pointed out, differences characterized and efforts are made to reveal common features in the mechanistic description of those phenomena.

This book presents the general concepts of self-organized spatio-temporal ordering processes. The questions addressed embrace a broad spectrum of complex nonlinear phenomena, ranging from self-assembling near the thermodynamical equilibrium to dissipative structure formation far from equilibrium.

Achieving efficient solar energy conversion at both large scale and low cost is among the most important technological challenges for the near future. The present volume describes and explains the fundamentals of organic/plastic solar cells in a manner accessible to both researchers and students. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the operational principles underlying several types of solar cells that have absorber layers based on polymer materials and small molecules. It addresses competing approaches, such as polymer solar cells and dye-sensitized cells, while considering the thermodynamic principles within the context of these schemes. Organic Photovoltaics also analyzes in detail the charge-transfer processes in the bulk-heterojunction devices corresponding to the relevant mechanism of carrier generation. Emphasized throughout is the concept of interpenetrating polymer-fullerene networks, due to their high potential for improving power efficiency.

Our life is a highly nonlinear process. It starts with birth and ends with death; in between there are a lot of ups and downs. Quite often, we believe that stable and steady situations, probably easy to capture by linearization, are paradisiacal, but already after a short period of everyday routine we usually become bored and seek change, that is, nonlinearities. If we reflect for a while, we notice that our life and our perceptions are mainly determined by nonlinear phenomena, for example, events occurring suddenly and unexpectedly. One may be surprised by how long scientists tried to explain our world by models based on a linear ansatz. Due to the lack of typical nonlinear patterns, although everybody experienced nonlinearities, nobody could classify them and, thus,· study them further. The discoveries of the last few decades have finally provided access to the world of nonlinear phenomena and have initiated a unique inter­ disciplinary field of research: nonlinear science. In contrast to the general tendency of science to become more branched out and specialized as the result of any progress, nonlinear science has brought together many different disciplines. This has been motivated not only by the immense importance of nonlinearities for science, but also by the wonderful simplicity ohhe concepts. Models like the logistic map can be easily understood by high school students and have brought revolutionary new insights into our scientific under­ standing.

Concepts of nonlinear physics are applied to an increasing number of research disciplines. With this volume, the editors offer a selection of articles on nonlinear topics in progress, ranging from physics and chemistry to biology and some applications of social science. The book covers quantum optics, electron crystallization, cellular or flow patterns in fluids and in granular media, biological systems, and the control of brain structures via neuronal excitation. Chemical patterns are looked at both in bulk solutions and on surfaces in heterogeneous systems. From regular structures, the authors turn to the more complex behavior in biology and physics, such as hydrodynamical turbulence, low-dimensional dynamics in solid-state physics, and gravity.

In this volume, concepts of nonlinear dynamics and self-organization are applied to topics in materials sciences with emphasis on semiconductors, soft matter, and biomaterials. The questions addressed include how to compare ordering phenomena under nonequilibrium situations, usually called self-organized structures, with those arising under situations close to equilibrium via selfassembly. Analogies are pointed out, differences are characterized, and efforts made to discover common features in the mechanistic description of those phenomena. Of major importance is the question of the role of spatial and temporal order, in particular, the application of concepts developed on macroscopic and microscopic scales to structure formation occurring on nanoscales, which occupies the focus of interest on the frontiers of science.

Achieving efficient solar energy conversion at both large scale and low cost is among the most important technological challenges for the near future. The present volume describes and explains the fundamentals of organic/plastic solar cells in a manner accessible to both researchers and students. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the operational principles underlying several types of solar cells that have absorber layers based on polymer materials and small molecules. It addresses competing approaches, such as polymer solar cells and dye-sensitized cells, while considering the thermodynamic principles within the context of these schemes. Organic Photovoltaics also analyzes in detail the charge-transfer processes in the bulk-heterojunction devices corresponding to the relevant mechanism of carrier generation. Emphasized throughout is the concept of interpenetrating polymer-fullerene networks, due to their high potential for improving power efficiency.

In this volume, concepts of nonlinear dynamics and self-organization are applied to topics in materials sciences with emphasis on semiconductors, soft matter, and biomaterials. The questions addressed include how to compare ordering phenomena under nonequilibrium situations, usually called self-organized structures, with those arising under situations close to equilibrium via selfassembly. Analogies are pointed out, differences are characterized, and efforts made to discover common features in the mechanistic description of those phenomena. Of major importance is the question of the role of spatial and temporal order, in particular, the application of concepts developed on macroscopic and microscopic scales to structure formation occurring on nanoscales, which occupies the focus of interest on the frontiers of science.

The review articles in this book treat the overall nonlinear and complex behavior of nature from the viewpoint of such diverse research fields as fluid mechanics, condensed matter physics, biophysics, biochemistry, biology, and applied mathematics. Attention is focussed on a broad and comprehensive overview of recent developments and perspectives. Particular attention is given to the so-far unsolved problem of how to capture the mutual interplay between the microscopic and macroscopic dynamics that extend over various length and time scales. The book addresses researchers as well as graduate students.

Concepts of nonlinear physics are applied to an increasing number of research disciplines. With this volume, the editors offer a selection of articles on nonlinear topics in progress, ranging from physics and chemistry to biology and some applications of social science. The book covers quantum optics, electron crystallization, cellular or flow patterns in fluids and in granular media, biological systems, and the control of brain structures via neuronal excitation. Chemical patterns are looked at both in bulk solutions and on surfaces in heterogeneous systems. From regular structures, the authors turn to the more complex behavior in biology and physics, such as hydrodynamical turbulence, low-dimensional dynamics in solid-state physics, and gravity.