This award will support research on dynamic properties of polymers, including dissipative processes. The project builds upon research on the equilibrium properties of ferroelectric random copolymers, which is currently being funded by NSF. The U.S. investigator is Philip Taylor of Case Western Reserve University and the Venezuelan investigator is Rafael Rangel of the Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas (IVIC). Dissipative processes involved in equilibrium states are of increasing importance. In this project, Taylor's experience with equilibrium processes, statistical mechanics of chain molecules, and polymer physics will be combined with Rangel's experience with dissipative processes, non-equilibrium systems, Ginzburg-Landau theory, and multifractality. The analytical work will initially be in Venezuela and the computational work will be in the United States, where the availability of the Ohio Supercomputer Center will be advantageous.
