CALL FOR PAPERS
Sessions will mainly consist of invited papers. For each Topic included in the Symposium invitations are made by Chairs only.
However, there will be Poster Sessions for all topics included in the Symposium. Some of the papers of the Poster Sessions may be selected for oral presentation if judged by Chairs to fit within the themes of a specific session as this is organized.
Poster Session papers should obviosuly be written taking care to adhere to Symposium Topic.
Materials are the foundation of human civilizations. Stages of the evolution of mankind have been characterized by the material they were able to handle: stone age, bronze age, iron age and we could say that today could be characterized as the silicon age. All human activities are linked to the materials of which the great variety of objects that man creates are made. At this stage of our evolution, we are embarking in a new venture that is characterized by the size of the entities to be handled. The concept of microtechnology has become popular through the use in electronic devices of elements like chips and other components. The idea of miniaturization is also a concept that is fairly common in view of the continuous reduction in size of elements that are required in industrial processes. While the word “nanotechnology” is commonly heard, its meaning is far from clear to the public at large or even to those engaged in the development of technology. To begin to appreciate the nano realm, one needs only realize that atoms and molecules occupy spaces in the range of nanometers (10-9 m).
The nanoscale regime is unique in that it lies between two well understood scales: the atomic and molecular, which is well described by quantum mechanics and the micro- and macroscopic, whose large sizes make statistical methods analysis very effective. Paradoxically, nanoscale systems are too small for statistical systems to work and too large to be handled by direct calculation. For this reason, applied sciences and technologies are being developed to enable scientists and engineers to understand and handle phenomena at the nanolevel. These new developments are called Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies, intended to fill the gap between the “macro and micro” and the “molecular and atomic” worlds.
The symposium addresses key aspects of the Materials Sciences and Mechanics of Materials at the nanolevel. In Fundamental Modeling in Nanomechanics, dynamics in the nanoscale regime is considered at the most fundamental level of physics, such as symmetry in physics. Interaction between molecular systems comprising nanomaterials will be discussed without relying on statistical quantities or other parameters based on thermal equilibrium. Modeling of Structures and Behaviors at the Nanoscale is a fundamental starting point to develop techniques to manipulate materials at the nanolevel. There are two important aspects. One is the unique quantum mechanical properties of materials at the nanolevel. The other is the change of the volume to surface ratio that makes interfaces between materials far more important than in the micro and micro worlds. These two factors are linked because the predominance of quantum laws depends on the thickness dimensions of the considered element.
In general, the analytical tools are limited to some specific problem and the realm of numerical computation is the tool for solving complex problems. These two aspects are addressed in Numerical Simulations in Nanomechanics and Constitutive Equations of Special Nano/Microsystems.
To understand the behavior of materials and their properties at the nanolevel it is necessary to use experimental tools to observe, measure and characterize the different observed phenomena. This role is performed by variety of methods: optics, electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-rays, neutron diffraction. Although these techniques have been applied to the macro and micro worlds their use in the nanoscale requires complex new developments. These aspects are covered by Experimental Techniques in Nanomechanics.
All these studies of course have one fundamental theme: the applications of Nanosciences to the needs of society. Nanofabrication is one of the immediate applications of Nanosciences. At this stage of the Nanosciences, nanofabrication has been used in one important area: microelectronics. Microelectronics is basically a top/down process. In a top/down process of fabrication, one starts at the large level and adds successively smaller components. The goal of nanomanufacturing is to invert this process going to a bottom up assembly of components. Self-assembly is a common event in the biological systems. This route is a fascinating one, with the goal of mimicking natural processes to yield full systems by starting with basic components and adding up components to get completely finished products. This is a controversial subject: some see this development as very unlikely while others enthusiastically support this idea and believe it feasible in a near future. Fabrication at the Nanoscale will deal with these aspects.
Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are devices that have some components at the micrometer scale. They are manufactured by top to bottom processes following the general designation of micromachining. In Europe the usual name of these systems is Microsystems. Japan uses a different notation: micromechatronics.
Roughly, MEMS can be divided in four different groups. One group is made out of sensors that generate electronic signals providing information on certain quantities to be measured. Another type of MEMS transforms an electrical signal to produce forces, chemical effects or biological effects. The third group involves both sensors and actuators: that is, they sense a certain physical quantity and based on the measurement they perform an external action. Finally, the simplest type of MEMS are devices that do not have moving parts and generally are conduits for fluids, electrical or optical signals. Although MEMS operate in the micro realm some of the components operate at the nanoscale and therefore MEMS have very close and complex relations with Nanotechnologies. The symposium session Application to Nanodiagnostics and MEMS will provide an overview of the current state of the art in this field.
To get information from the outer world, we use our senses. Sensors are an extension of our eyes, skin, nose, and ears. In modern Biosciences, sensors have an increasingly important role in the diagnostic process of medicine as well as in the investigation of the different processes that take place in living organisms. Many of these sensors have close connections with mechanics of materials and certainly represent a high frontier engineering application. Therefore, aspects of this very important topic are covered by Engineering Applications to Nanobiosensors.
Many of the processes in and behaviors of living organisms are deeply connected with materials properties and mechanics of materials at the nanolevel. This fact is particularly significant in view of the impact on the health and quality of life of people. The last track of the symposium hence covers Engineering Applications to Nanobiology.
Finally, the content of the symposium leads to major areas of opportunity for industrial and technological developments with a strong impact in our society.
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