Mathematical modelling of nanoscale heat flow and phase change

Obiettivo

The nanoparticle (NP) lies at the very heart of nanotechnology. The wide range of current and potential uses of NPs, which include medicine, manufacturing, environment, and energy, has stimulated an international research effort focusing on NP synthesis and design. Despite extensive research into NPs, many breakthroughs and advances are the result of trial
and error, since the mathematical framework which could provide a theoretical understanding often does not exist.
This is partly because classical theories of heat transfer and phase change, which are relevant to the design and
use of NPs, breakdown on the nanoscale.

The focus of the proposed research is, therefore, to develop and analyse novel mathematical models describing
nanoscale heat transfer and phase change. Exact, approximate, and numerical solutions will be obtained in order
to gain practical insights into NP evolution. To ensure the models and results are realistic and of use to
nanoscience researchers, the work will be carried out in collaboration with members of the Inorganic Nanoparticles
Group of the Catalan Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, and the Statistical Physics Group at the Autonomous
University of Barcelona. The project, which is truly multi-disciplinary, will bridge the gap between mathematics
and nanotechnology.