K. Binder – författare

During the past fifteen years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of different surfaces whose structures have been determined experimentally. For example, whereas in 1979 there were only 25 recorded adsorption structures, to date there are more than 250. This volume is therefore a timely review of the state-of-the-art in this dynamic field.Chapter one contains a compilation of the structural data base on surfaces within a series of tables that allows direct comparison of structural parameters for related systems. Experimental structural trends amongst both clean surfaces and adsorbate systems are highlighted and discussed.The next chapter outlines the successes of local density functional theory in predicting the relaxations and reconstructions of clean metal and semiconductor surfaces, and the behaviour of adsorbates such as hydrogen, oxygen and alkali elements on metal surfaces, thereby explaining some of the experimental trends observed within the database. These ab initio density functional calculations are of ground state properties at the absolute zero of temperature. Chapter three provides an introduction to finite temperature effects in a pedagogical review of current statistical mechanical treatments of phase transitions at surfaces, many of which display the prominent role of fluctuations or non-mean field behaviour. The final chapter discusses the relationship of the reactivity of a surface to its morphology and composition, which is particularly relevant to a fundamental understanding of catalysis.

During the past fifteen years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of different surfaces whose structures have been determined experimentally. For example, whereas in 1979 there were only 25 recorded adsorption structures, to date there are more than 250. This volume is therefore a timely review of the state-of-the-art in this dynamic field.

Chapter one contains a compilation of the structural data base on surfaces within a series of tables that allows direct comparison of structural parameters for related systems. Experimental structural trends amongst both clean surfaces and adsorbate systems are highlighted and discussed.

The next chapter outlines the successes of local density functional theory in predicting the relaxations and reconstructions of clean metal and semiconductor surfaces, and the behaviour of adsorbates such as hydrogen, oxygen and alkali elements on metal surfaces, thereby explaining some of the experimental trends observed within the database. These ab initio density functional calculations are of ground state properties at the absolute zero of temperature.

Chapter three provides an introduction to finite temperature effects in a pedagogical review of current statistical mechanical treatments of phase transitions at surfaces, many of which display the prominent role of fluctuations or non-mean field behaviour.

The final chapter discusses the relationship of the reactivity of a surface to its morphology and composition, which is particularly relevant to a fundamental understanding of catalysis.

This is the first Supplementary volume to Kluwer's highly acclaimed Encyclopaedia of Mathematics. This additional volume contains nearly 600 new entries written by experts and covers developments and topics not included in the already published 10-volume set. These entries have been arranged alphabetically throughout. A detailed index is included in the book. This Supplementary volume enhances the existing 10-volume set. Together, these eleven volumes represent the most authoritative, comprehensive up-to-date Encyclopaedia of Mathematics available.

Monte Carlo computer simulations are now a standard tool in scientific fields such as condensed-matter physics, including surface-physics and applied-physics problems (metallurgy, diffusion, and segregation, etc. ), chemical physics, including studies of solutions, chemical reactions, polymer statistics, etc. , and field theory. With the increasing ability of this method to deal with quantum-mechanical problems such as quantum spin systems or many-fermion problems, it will become useful for other questions in the fields of elementary-particle and nuclear physics as well. The large number of recent publications dealing either with applications or further development of some aspects of this method is a clear indication that the scientific community has realized the power and versatility of Monte Carlo simula­ tions, as well as of related simulation techniques such as "molecular dynamics" and "Langevin dynamics," which are only briefly mentioned in the present book. With the increasing availability of recent very-high-speed general-purpose computers, many problems become tractable which have so far escaped satisfactory treatment due to prac­ tical limitations (too small systems had to be chosen, or too short averaging times had to be used). While this approach is admittedly rather expensive, two cheaper alternatives have become available, too: (i) array or vector processors specifical­ ly suited for wide classes of simulation purposes; (ii) special purpose processors, which are built for a more specific class of problems or, in the extreme case, for the simulation of one single model system.