Scope

The application of thermodynamics to complex fluids, like polymeric liquids, dispersions, emulsions etc. is by no means obvious. In fact, in the literature there exists at present an overwhelming amount of theories and a wide variety of approaches: Classical nonequilibrium thermodynamics with internal variables, Lagrangian methods, bracket formulations, continuum or rational thermodynamics, variational formulations, extended irreversible thermodynamics, the matrix model, network thermodynamics, and the recent GENERIC formalism. To bring together and unify this variety of approaches and to achieve a common framework, suited for applications, a first workshop was organized in 1996 in Montreal to discuss this matter (Workshop report by M. Grmela, JNNFM 69 (1997) 105-107). The common opinion was that it should be possible now to combine the various approaches in some kind of common generalized theory. In order to achieve this, a second and third international workshop were held in Oxford, 2000 and Princeton, 2003 (Workshop report by A. Beris and B.J. Edwards, JNNFM 120 (2004) 1-2). To help in the direction of bringing nonequilibrium thermodynamics to the same level of clarity and usefulness as equilibrium thermodynamics, the fourth international Workshop will take place in Rhodes, in September 3-7, 2006. The workshop is expected to highlight the most recent advances in the field, in particular, new theoretical developments and state-of-the-art modelling/simulation techniques founded on or guided by principles of non-equilibrium thermodynamics. Particular emphasis will be given to the description of new phenomena related to structure/morphology development and relaxation or dynamics in complex materials subjected to a deformation history at various length and time scales within a non-equilibrium thermodynamics framework. Adhering to a fundamental and strict non-equilibrium thermodynamics framework in order to establish self-consistent links between the different levels (each level addressing phenomena over a specific window of length and time scales) is something that we hope to have become absolutely transparent by the end of the Workshop. A special issue of the Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics (JNNFM) will also be devoted to the Workshop.

Organizing committee

  • Vlasis Mavrantzas (Local Organizer), University of Patras, Greece
  • Antony Beris, University of Delaware, USA
  • Brian Edwards, The University of Tennessee, USA
  • Hans Christian Öttinger, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
  • Martin Kröger, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
  • Miroslav Grmela, Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada
  • Thanos Tzavaras, University of Crete, Greece; University of Maryland

Scientific commitee

  • Antony Beris, University of Delaware, USA
  • Brian Edwards, The University of Tennessee, USA
  • David Jou, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain
  • Doros Theodorou, National Technical University of Athens, Greece
  • Hans Christian Öttinger, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
  • Miroslav Grmela, Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada
  • Ubbo Felderhof, University of Aachen, Germany
  • Vlasis Mavrantzas, University of Patras. Greece