TECHNICAL: An integrated approach to synthesis, characterization and modeling of martensitic transformations planned. To further this goal PI will help organize the 12th International Conference on Martensitic Transformations (ICOMAT-08) during June 29 - July 05, 2008 in Santa Fe, NM. This conference is held every three years and moves from one continent to another. The main focus is on fundamental science as well as on the technological applications of martensitic (diffusionless, first order) phase transitions and microstructure in shape memory and related alloys. The intellectual merit of this important topic encompass science and technology of martensitic transformations across all classes of materials, diverse displacive transformations including coupled displacive/diffusional transformations, aging and tempering of martensitic materials, shape-memory, ferroic and multiferroic materials with aspects relevant to magnetoelastics, ferroelectrics and magnetic shape memory alloys. Participants will also address topics ranging from fundamentals of kinematics, structure, thermodynamics, mechanisms and kinetics. Novel theoretical approaches of multiscale modeling and emerging experimental methods such as three dimensional imaging and characterization of microstructure will be addressed. In many of these materials strain may couple to other degrees of freedom such as polarization, magnetization and shuffle modes. Thus, common features of ferroic materials with martensites will be highlighted in this conference. NON-TECHNICAL: There will be over 300 researchers participating in the conference from around the world. Importantly, many students, postdocs and young faculty (including women and minorities) from the US will attend the conference. This will also serve as a forum for educational outreach and multidisciplinary research training. There will be about 30 invited talks, 150 contributed talks and about 100 poster presentations. The proceedings will be published by TMS as two volumes (books) which will be given to participants from around the world. Other details can be found at the web-site: http://cnls.lanl.gov/ICOMAT/
