Topological Dynamics in Physics and Biology

12 July 2011 - 13 July 2011

This event is part of an intensive research period:
Knots and Applications.

Aims

Geometric and topological methods used to study dynamical and energetic aspects of physical and biological systems have proven to be very effective to uncover and to understand new and fundamental mechanisms in nature. Geometric information associated with the continuous deformation, bending and twisting of material surfaces, topological characteristics of such surfaces and their relation with the topology of the boundary, as well as topological transition associated with sudden rearrangement of the system, provide new ways to analyze energy relaxation and transfer in a broad variety of physical, chemical and biological systems.

With this workshop we shall present and discuss some of the most recent advancements in topological dynamics, from one and two dimensional systems in material science to optical vortices, from polymer tangles to soap film transitions in fluid mechanics.

Invited Speakers

Dorothy Buck, Imperial College, UK
Tetsuo Deguchi, Ochanumizu U., Japan
Mark Dennis, Bristol U., UK
Giovanni Dietler, EPFL, Switzerland
Ray Goldstein*, Cambridge U., UK
Cristian Micheletti, SISSA, Trieste, Italy
Michael Monastyrsky, ITEP, Federal Republic of Russia
Enzo Orlandini, INFN, Padova, Italy
Adriana Pesci*, Cambridge U., UK
Andrzej Stasiak, U. Lausanne, Switzerland
De Witt Sumners, Florida State U., USA

* To be confirmed

Participants willing to contribute with a talk are encouraged to submit title and abstract to Renzo Ricca atrenzo.ricca@unimib.it. The local expenses of speakers will be covered by the organization. Young participants can apply for financial support, even if they are not submitting a talk.

Registration

All prospective participants and attendees are kindly requested to register here before 12 July, 2011.

Financial Support

Prospective participants should seek grant/university support towards travel expenses from local sources. Limited funding towards participant local expenses may be provided by CRM and INdAM upon application. Request of Financial Support: Qualified junior participants and prospective attendees are invited to submit their request of financial support towards local expenses by sending their CV and list of publications to Renzo Ricca at
renzo.ricca@unimib.it, before 13 April, 2011.

Poster

Publicize this Event: Please notify this event in your Department/Research Unit by downloading and posting the attached poster; please click here to download it.

Location

All lectures, oral contributions and posters will be held in the lecture room Aula Dini (via del Castelletto 11 Pisa) that is at only 2 minutes walk from Centro De Giorgi.

Practical information

How to Get There: From outside Pisa to CRM, read the instructions here

Shopping times and holidays

Typical shopping times are 8:30-12:30 and 15:30-19:30. National holidays: 1 May, 2 June, 17 June